[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-233":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},1220850,1614,"Chapter 233: Section 48: The Engineers","stealing-ming-chapter-233",233,"\u003Cp>Just now, Miss Zhao Er insisted that Huang Shi promise not to set sail for the time being before she would go wash and change. Seeing a young woman so brave, Huang Shi could not help but soften for a moment and nodded his agreement. Yet during this waiting period, Huang Shi felt that going to Juehua was still very ill-advised — with a powerful enemy outside and internal hindrances within, it did not look like a good opportunity for battle by any measure. He considered that he merely owed the Zhao family a life; saving this Miss Zhao Er was enough to clear his conscience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi looked straight into those hope-filled eyes and, in a deep voice, told her what he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This time the Jianzhou slave army's momentum is huge. They are already pressing close to Juehua Island, and there is not much time left — it is a moment of extreme peril. Several thousand soldiers from Changsheng Island have risked death to come from afar to aid Juehua... If your elder brother could lead Juehua to fight shoulder to shoulder with us, there might still be a chance to defeat the enemy. As things stand, since my army cannot enter Juehua, the safest course is nothing other than to go elsewhere. Miss Zhao, forgive my bluntness, but your elder brother put private grievance before public duty and has pushed Juehua into a fatal dead end. I truly wish I could help but am powerless to do so.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Juehua admittedly had four battalions of regular troops, but Huang Shi had long known that these garrison forces could not withstand a single blow and were bound to collapse just like the Guanning Army everywhere else. Though he had the heart to offer some words of comfort, he realized that nothing he said would be of any use or likely to set Miss Zhao Er at ease. Besides, this crushing defeat was probably only a matter of days away, so keeping it from her would be meaningless anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss Zhao Er was greatly astonished. How had Huang Shi foreseen Juehua's peril more than ten days in advance, and even calculated the timing so closely? Could there truly be such a remarkable person in this world who could foretell the future? Miss Zhao Er had always harbored a feeling in her heart — that this man could save the lives of her elder brother and elder sister, and that was why she had risked everything on this gamble. Before she jumped into the sea, Miss Zhao Er had already believed Huang Shi's predictions without the slightest doubt. Otherwise she would never have trifled with her own life. Hearing the tone in Huang Shi's voice, that the Changsheng Island army really was going to Ningyuan, her face could not help but change dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss Zhao Er bowed deeply toward Huang Shi. Huang Shi hastily stepped aside to avoid it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss Zhao Er then said: \"This humble maiden heard that when the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent left Beijing, the Son of Heaven entrusted him with the frontier affairs of Liaoxi. The Son of Heaven even opened the Great Ming Gate and personally ascended the imperial city wall to see him off...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Huang Shi did not deny it, Miss Zhao Er continued: \"Since the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent has thus received His Majesty's will, and carries the accumulated prestige of a hundred victories in a hundred battles, how could he betray his sovereign's grace and sit by watching Juehua fall?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi did not answer Miss Zhao Er's words, but instead suddenly asked: \"Has His Majesty's imperial edict reached Juehua?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Huang Shi reasoned, Tianqi must have already sent an imperial edict notifying Juehua, which was how Miss Zhao Er had learned from her brother about Huang Shi's trip to Beijing. Zhao Yin'gong had clearly not acted according to the imperial edict, which left only one possibility. Huang Shi then asked coldly: \"Time was pressing, so His Majesty must have issued a direct Zhongzhi decree. Lord Zhao surely refused to accept the edict, did he not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Zhongzhi decree did not pass through the Six Ministries, nor did it bear the countersignature of the Senior or Junior Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. While military officers and eunuchs dared not disobey, for civil officials it could indeed be deemed a false edict, and refusing to accept it carried no fault whatsoever. After the mid-Ming period, refusing to accept such a \"three-lacking\" Zhongzhi decree — or receiving a court flogging — was a kind of honor for civil officials, a topic they could boast about for a lifetime. Those who had once suffered a court flogging could thereafter walk with their chins raised a full three-tenths higher, for they could claim: \"I once refuted the Great Ming Son of Heaven until he was left speechless and could only vent his anger by having me beaten.\" Thus wherever they went, they enjoyed the adoring gazes of the crowd as if surrounded by a host of stars paying homage to the moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historically, during the Wanli reign, someone once submitted a memorial that roundly cursed the Shenzong Emperor, his imperial consort, and their son all in one breath, cursing them until the blood sprayed from their heads. That voluminous ten-thousand-word memorial not only compared the imperial consort to an abnormally aged fox, but also established connections between the Wanli Emperor and animals such as pigs and dogs. At the time, it made the Great Ming Son of Heaven so furious that both his hands trembled uncontrollably, and he squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth: \"This wretch... this wretch is utterly insolent. He came deliberately to swindle a court flogging, didn't he? We... We absolutely will not let him have his wish!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for a civil official, refusing to accept a \"three-lacking\" Zhongzhi decree was even more worthy of flaunting than receiving a court flogging. After all, the latter merely left the emperor speechless, while the former was directly slapping the emperor's venerable face with a big open hand. Even a clay figurine has a bit of spirit; the Ming emperors were unwilling and could not afford to lose face this way. Thus by the dynasty's later period, unless the situation was extremely urgent, the emperor generally did not use Zhongzhi decrees — yet even so, civil officials still often refused them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Miss Zhao Er left speechless, Huang Shi was all the more certain that his assessment was correct, and that the imperial edict must also have mentioned his own views and arrangements for the war situation. That was why this Miss Zhao Er regarded him as a man of profound foresight and the great savior of her family. It was just that Zhao Yin'gong, out of sheer personal selfishness, had placed tens of thousands of people in mortal danger. At this thought, Huang Shi's heart filled with disgust. He lightly cupped his hands in salute: \"As for the matter of Juehua, I truly have the will but not the strength. Miss Zhao, please rest. When the ship reaches Shanhai Pass, you will naturally be escorted to the Liaodong Regional Military Commission.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Huang Shi turned to leave. Miss Zhao Er cried out urgently: \"Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, please wait! This humble maiden has one more thing to say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi, with a trace of impatience, said: \"What more does Miss Zhao have to say? Please speak quickly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss Zhao Er raised her head and said loudly: \"I recall that four years ago, the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent turned his army back to Guangning, swept away the rebels, and won fame throughout the realm — and even placed righteousness above family loyalty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words made Huang Shi frown deeply. At that time, Miss Sun had already made her choice, which was practically the only choice possible for her — to help her traitorous father. And Huang Shi had also made his own choice, a choice over which he would not hesitate in the slightest — nothing could make him betray his own people. But Miss Sun's death had always remained a hidden pain in his heart. A few of his old subordinates who were closer to him understood this, and everyone had long since stopped mentioning the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent had not turned his army back to suppress the rebellion then, the several hundred thousand people in that city would inevitably have all fallen into the hands of the Jianzhou slaves. The old and weak would have been slaughtered, the able-bodied men reduced to bondage, and the women sold off to the western barbarians. The lives of these several hundred Battalion Commander all stem from the grace of the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent; their children and grandchildren were all bestowed by the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. Had there been no Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, how could my elder brother have his present prospects, and how could this humble maiden dwell peacefully at home? This grace and this virtue are truly difficult to repay even one ten-thousandth part.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Miss Zhao Er's tone grew impassioned: \"Although my elder brother is narrow-minded and cannot tolerate others, the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent dispatched troops to Juehua for the sake of the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians there. What crime have they committed, that they should suffer on account of my elder brother? Now your lordship's troops are but a stone's throw from Juehua — how can you stand by with folded hands? How can you watch them die and not save them? I still hope your lordship can, as in Guangning, set aside personal concerns for the public good and hold the lives of the common people paramount.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi let out a soft \"Heh,\" but still did not respond. Yet the indignant look on his face had already softened somewhat. Miss Zhao Er straightened her back and then loudly demanded: \"My elder brother harbors private grudges and has placed the tens of thousands of souls on Juehua in mortal danger, yet he still clings to a hope of luck, believing himself fully capable of protecting the territory and its people. If today the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent leaves in a fit of pique, how would that differ from my elder brother? If someday Juehua should by chance survive, then the Junior Guardian and my elder brother would truly be birds of a feather; if it turns out as the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent has said, then your lordship would be one who watched them die and did not save them. Compared to my elder brother, would that not be even lower?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was indeed as Miss Zhao Er said: Zhao Yin'gong had refused Huang Shi's landing because of his prejudice against the Changsheng Army, coupled with blind self-confidence — that was a problem of ability and judgment. But Huang Shi, knowing full well that Juehua was in peril, if he watched them die and did nothing out of personal resentment, that would unquestionably be a problem of character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Huang Shi were to leave now, he could still find all sorts of reasons to shirk responsibility and exonerate himself. Just as when he had infiltrated deep behind enemy lines at Guangning and was investigated, and because he had no choice but to disclose some of his own circumstances, he ended up implicating that merchant — no one would ever be able to blame him for it. But that matter was an original sin that he, Huang Shi, would have to bear for a lifetime. In the stillness of the night, Huang Shi would still have to face the interrogation from the depths of his soul. The question now circling in his heart was — if he had the ability but did not go to save the tens of thousands of lives on Juehua, then what difference was there between him, Huang Shi, and the Later Jin bandits?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Miss Zhao speaks well. You have made me see the light.\" Huang Shi said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Huang Shi fell silent and sank into thought. If he had never come to Juehua, that would be one thing. But the situation now was that Juehua was right before his eyes, within easy reach. If the slaughter of that merchant's family was enough to make Huang Shi's heart bleed forever, then sitting by and watching tens of thousands of lives on Juehua fall into fire and water — how could Huang Shi's soul bear such a heavy burden? After quietly pondering for a while, he finally made up his mind and said: \"But there is still no way to land, unless Miss Zhao can persuade your elder brother to break the ice, and to mobilize all available hands to do it at the fastest speed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The biggest problem with landing was passing through the floating ice zone. With the weather so cold now, if a small boat were capsized, a person could easily freeze to death, and transporting cannons would be even more impossibly difficult. Looking at the current state of Juehua Island, the ice layers on both sides of the port would have to be smashed, and then the ocean currents would need to carry away the dangerously large floating ice chunks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing this, Miss Zhao Er pondered briefly and said: \"This humble maiden knows of a place behind the mountain. The bay there has very slow currents and little wind. I wonder if it might be possible to land there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the floating ice was not moving at high speed, it would be possible to clear a passage. Perhaps what Miss Zhao suggested was a viable approach. Of course, they would still need to send people to observe the geography before deciding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But... Huang Shi asked curiously: \"How does Miss Zhao know about these water patterns and wind conditions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My elder brother often handles official business at home, and this humble maiden helps out with the odd jobs. Over time, I came to know all these hydrographic and geographic details.\" Juehua had a great deal of grain transport by sea and many passing merchants. Zhao Yin'gong often had his sister help check documents, and she had indeed helped him considerably. Seeing Huang Shi's face full of surprise, Miss Zhao said: \"The Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent need not worry. This humble maiden will go and show the way right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I must trouble you, Miss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Miss Zhao understood that Huang Shi's resolve was set, and her heart immediately relaxed greatly. She struck while the iron was hot, tightened her waist, raised her slender brows, and said proudly: \"The Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent is truly magnanimous. This matter brooks no delay; this humble maiden stands ready to receive orders at any time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi looked Miss Zhao up and down, thinking that her current attire was probably not very convenient for going on deck — those loose robes and wide sleeves made her look like an actor in a grand opera.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss Zhao Er hurriedly looked down at her own clothes. The area under her arms indeed resembled the two wings of a great bat, and her trousers were so loose and baggy they were utterly unseemly. She shook out her sleeves and said to Huang Shi with a smile: \"What difficulty is this? If the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent will give this humble maiden a few pieces of rope, that will do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss Zhao Er tucked the rope into her clothes and hurried back to the cabin to adjust her attire. Very soon she reappeared. Her long hair was coiled into a firm bun at the back of her head, her sleeves and trouser legs were rolled up and tied securely, and her waist was cinched tight with rope. Though the men's clothing on her was still quite ridiculous, she now looked trim and efficient, ready for action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The preliminary orders had already been issued, and the reconnaissance squad had returned to report the situation. The fleet sailed all the way to the hidden bay behind the mountain that Miss Zhao had mentioned. Here, because there was a cliff providing shelter, the wind was very light at night, and there were no undercurrents beneath the sea surface. The floating ice was almost entirely stationary on the water. Long ropes had already been prepared on a large number of small boats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, this humble maiden is willing to be the first to land, to prove what I have said.\" Miss Zhao Er expressed that she was willing to be the first to disembark and go ashore, to demonstrate that the floating ice zone here posed no danger, and to scout whether the perimeter area could allow troops to pass through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi glanced at Miss Zhao. Her eager, itching-to-try look made Huang Shi unable to suppress a laugh: \"Miss Zhao misunderstands. It is not that I distrust Miss Zhao, but that my subordinates need a thoroughly foolproof plan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the staff department confirmed that this was a relatively safe floating ice zone, they began formulating the corresponding plan according to military regulations. They sent out a large number of small boats to clear a passage through the floating ice. Then they turned the many small boats sideways one after another — the innermost ones pressed against the fixed ice layer, and the others lined up side by side to form a boat bridge. Once in position, the sailors tightened the ropes to secure the boats, then finally jumped onto the free small boats to leave the boat bridge and returned to the large ships to bring out more small boats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing two boat bridges in this manner, no problem of floating ice collision occurred. During this time, Huang Shi must have stretched his arm out a hundred times to test the wind. Seeing the floating ice being pushed harmlessly farther and farther away, Huang Shi sighed with relief as if a great weight had been lifted from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to set foot on the ice surface was the provisional engineer corps of Changsheng Island. Because Eunuch Wu had sent all of Changsheng Island's engineer corps to Fuzhou, Huang Shi had temporarily drawn out all the engineer instructors from the training corps. Although this engineer unit had only forty men, they were all elite engineering personnel of Changsheng Island. Every one of them had received at least one merit citation, and quite a few wore medals on their chests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer commanding this provisional engineer corps was Ouyang Xin, the man who had been in charge of the Fuzhou pontoon bridge. This native of Beizhili had in the past assiduously studied two profound branches of learning: by day he was an apprentice in fengshui, and by night an apprentice in tomb robbing. In this era, tomb robbing generally required at least two people working together. After digging the hole, one person would go down to retrieve the valuables, while the other stayed at the entrance to handle the receiving and support work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the whole, tomb robbing was a high-risk and high-reward occupation. The high risk was largely due to the high reward of this work. If the tomb robber guarding the entrance was overcome by greed at the sight of the valuables, he could very easily murder his partner down below. In the past, not a few highly skilled and daring senior tomb robbers had been betrayed and killed by disloyal partners. Therefore, among later generations of tomb robbers, many worked in uncle-nephew pairs. After all, most fathers were unwilling for their sons to follow them in such a wicked trade, while the uncle-nephew relationship also had close blood ties and allowed for complete mutual trust and assistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Xin was no exception. The one who taught him these skills was none other than Ouyang Xin's own maternal uncle. By day, while observing fengshui, his uncle imparted the necessary theoretical knowledge to him; by night, he took him along to apply what he had learned. This uncle, whom Ouyang Xin deeply revered, died in a severe crackdown operation by the Great Ming court, and Ouyang Xin was subsequently exiled to Changsheng Island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he first arrived on the island, Ouyang Xin was trained as an artillery officer, but his aptitude for gunnery was simply too poor, so he was mercilessly weeded out. Fortunately, gold will always shine. In the engineer training that began at the end of last year, Ouyang Xin distinguished himself, performing outstandingly in all the various tomb-robbing skills... very well, in all the various engineering skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Fuzhou campaign, Ouyang Xin was responsible for directing the construction of encampments, the building of pontoon bridges, and other tasks, all of which he completed superbly. After the Fuzhou campaign ended, Huang Shi awarded him a medal and also transferred Ouyang Xin and the most outstanding batch of engineers into the training corps, making them glorious engineer instructors of the training corps. Now the organic engineer units in every battalion had all been trained by them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the problem of how to get artillery and large bodies of infantry across the ice surface, Changsheng Island now had ready-made engineer regulations. These regulations had undergone multiple tests and revisions at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. Since Miss Zhao had provided such a wind-sheltered location, the remaining work was something these engineer instructors could handle with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instructors quickly found a place where the ice was solid. They first laid prepared wooden planks onto the ice, extending all the way to the shore, then applied a small amount of grease for lubrication, and then dragged the small boats onto the planks. Back on Changsheng Island, according to Huang Shi's orders, the engineer corps' tools were to be replaced with steel ones on a priority basis, and especially, the instructors of the training corps were to be given priority in familiarizing themselves with the tools. Using these new-style tools, they swiftly drove in stakes and installed ropes and pulleys. Then they directed the soldiers, who chanted work songs as they continuously dragged the small boats forward. During the process, people kept falling into ice holes that suddenly appeared, but the soldiers persevered in silence. In the end, using the small boats and planks on the ice, they laid out a makeshift port pier and a road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ice surface, unable to bear the heavy load, gradually began to break apart. Ouyang Xin, well prepared, immediately directed the entire unit to cooperate fully, letting the already deployed small boats gradually grind down into the ice layer until they replaced the unreliable edge ice. Once this work was completed, there was a wooden passageway in the middle of the solid ice layer off the eastern coast of Juehua, leading from the dangerous edge area all the way to the firm ice further in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, after covering the small boats with planks to serve as a road surface and nailing them down, the internal security troops of the Changsheng Army took over the traffic control duties. Under their direction, the soldiers on the sea-going ships began to transfer onto Juehua Island in an orderly fashion...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After nightfall, Ouyang Xin, drenched in sweat, returned to the command ship. Chief of Staff Jin Qiude personally handed him a bowl of hot ginger soup with brown sugar, and at the same time expressed praise for his work. He pointed out that upon returning to the island, they would need to formulate regulations and a training manual for landing in the face of the enemy, develop specialized tools, and told him he could go get a good sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, under the leadership of the paranoid Huang Shi, Changsheng Island was obsessively formulating all kinds of regulations. Manuals for every branch of service were being tirelessly revised and compiled. Especially for technical branches like the engineers and artillery, Huang Shi's slogan was: \"Do not improvise; only follow the regulations where they exist.\" He believed that rather than expecting technical troops to have a flash of inspiration on the tense battlefield, it was better to have them think more in peacetime, prepare in advance for situations they might encounter, and write everything into the regulations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Xin saluted and was about to leave when Jin Qiude suddenly called him back: \"Did you detect any reaction from the island?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reporting to Mobile Corps Commander Jin, no reaction whatsoever, and no one was sent over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm. Understood. Dismissed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Qiude and the staff officers began bustling about again. The internal security troops on the ice continuously waved torches to report on the progress of the work. The staff department on the command ship made constant minor adjustments to the troops to ensure the entire landing plan proceeded smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was always like this. Once Huang Shi had made up his mind, he could actually afford to relax a little, because with the staff department in place, the heaviest work that followed would be shouldered by Jin Qiude. A whole cabin full of staff officers was hard at work. The priority sequence for transporting personnel, weapons, ammunition, and tents had to be planned and flexibly adjusted; the number of sick had to be tallied; transport had to maintain unit integrity; emergencies had to be prepared for; unloading areas and encampment sites had to be assigned to each unit... The staff officers continuously issued various orders to the internal security officers on the ice and on the sea-going ships. Tonight would undoubtedly be another sleepless night for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Huang Shi had just finished his dinner and was leisurely picking his teeth and rinsing his mouth. Although no outsider knew Miss Zhao's identity, she absolutely had to be sent back to her brother tonight. Otherwise, spending the night outside would be greatly detrimental to her reputation. A soft knock came at the cabin door. At Huang Shi's \"Come in,\" the door was pushed open a crack. Miss Zhao revealed half of her little head and asked timidly: \"Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, do you have any rouge... No? Then what about face powder... Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, please calm your anger, this humble maiden will ask no more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When setting out, Miss Zhao's clothes had been adjusted once more. The loose areas had been pinched into pleats by her, and the ropes on her clothes had all been tied into pretty butterfly knots. Her hair was also done up in twin loops, with two slender strands of hair hanging from her smooth cheeks down to her chest. That suffocating feeling surged up fiercely again. Huang Shi hurriedly shifted his gaze to the wall beside him before he could still control his eyes: \"Miss Zhao, please — let us go ashore quickly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss Zhao carefully put on the dog-fur hat, then took the cotton cloth Huang Shi handed her and wrapped her face tightly, leaving only a slit through which her two eyes could show. At Huang Shi's insistence, though somewhat uneasy, she obediently walked ahead. Her hands held the ends of her girlish sidelocks as she moved with dainty lotus steps toward the ladder, her waterfall-like jet-black hair cascading all the way down to her hips. Huang Shi seized the moment to admire the silhouette before him, then climbed up onto the deck as well and accompanied Miss Zhao all the way down into the small boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After landing, Huang Shi asked the Inner Guard officer directing traffic whether there was any activity on the island. They replied that nothing had been found yet, nor had they encountered any patrols from Juehua Island. Huang Shi gave a snort and said to the second Miss Zhao, \"When we reach Dongshan shortly, I fear I may show some disrespect to your esteemed elder brother... But seeing how you are, Miss Zhao, his bearing can well be imagined. Once he understands my well-meaning intentions, I expect Lord Zhao will not take it to heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they led the guard unit toward the Dongshan peak, Miss Zhao was still somewhat uneasy and asked, \"Does the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent already have a strategy for certain victory?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I were not here, perhaps not. But since I have come...\" Huang Shi's eyes narrowed slightly, his chest already filled with a surging confidence, and his tone left no room for doubt: \"Those Jianzhou slaves will have no choice but to retreat in defeat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Dongshan official residence on Juehua, the lamps still blazed brightly. Zhao Yin had already mobilized the island's officers and men to chop the ice, and he personally guarded the Dongshan granary. Besides a sword at his waist, Zhao Yin had also tucked a dagger into his official boot, which he intended to use for suicide should the critical moment arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yin led the civil officials and private secretaries of Juehua in full cooperation, planning every task in perfect order. Zhao Yin had no doubt — even that so-called famous general Huang Shi could not have done a better job than he. Moreover, refusing to let Huang Shi's troops come ashore would ensure unified command on Juehua, free of internal discord and hindrance. Zhao Yin truly felt that three thousand Dongjiang soldiers would be of little use anyway; when the critical moment came, they would still have to rely on the regular army, not some refugee militia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Zhao Yin lay a map of Juehua, marked with the defensive deployments designed by the civil officials and private secretaries. Unconsciously, Zhao Yin pressed his lips tighter and tighter together, feeling as if a fire were burning in his chest — I must be brave, never shrink back, plan meticulously, and at the crucial moment go to the front line to boost morale... Then victory will surely be ours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, several of the Zhao family servants quietly withdrew on tiptoe. They all agreed that their master, when deep in meditation, most embodied the manner of a grand master of his generation. Usually, once he began meditating, he could contemplate for several hours, maintaining his posture motionless from start to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, no one had ever dared to interrupt Lord Zhao's meditation. But today, he had barely settled into his trance when a violent clamor erupted outside the camp. In an instant, the shouts of officers and soldiers filled the sky above the entire encampment. Several of the Zhao family's old servants burst in, clubs in hand, and gathered around Zhao Yin: \"Protect the Master!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you panicking about?\" Zhao Yin roared, sword already in hand. He had sprung to his full height the moment the noise erupted outside. Now, everywhere beyond the door came cries of \"Enemy attack!\" Amid the chaos, torches could be seen swaying in all directions, interspersed with the furious shouts of officers and loud commands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That the Later Jin army could launch such a stealthy infiltration attack shocked Zhao Yin deeply, but when the moment came, he showed no trace of fear. Holding his sword level, he strode toward the door: \"I shall personally go beat the war drums for the officers and men.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the stirring drumbeats resounded across Dongshan, Huang Shi had already withdrawn with his small squad of Inner Guards to the mountainside. Earlier, they had walked all the way to the camp gate before being spotted by a sentry. The guard, after challenging them to identify themselves, had not waited to hear the full reply before hurriedly raising the alarm. Instantly, the Ming army on Dongshan fell into utter chaos. To avoid being accidentally injured in the darkness, Huang Shi and his party had no choice but to pull back first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi calmly observed for a while. By now, arrows and stones were flying wildly above the Dongshan peak, and the roar of cannons could be heard. He shook his head helplessly, turned back, and said to Miss Zhao, \"Let's wait until they've tired themselves out, then we'll go up again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",5390,"2026-06-04T07:54:54.057Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","b9a801a37fadf9826d432a2b48a3d7e6e57bad74bbdc50385c901e6e658ddfad","stealing-ming-chapter-234","stealing-ming-chapter-232",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]