Chapter 253

After Zhao Yin confirmed that Yuan Chonghuan had already become Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, Huang Shi knew his entire plan had fallen through. Whether against the Later Jin or against the civil official bloc, this Juehua campaign had failed to help Huang Shi achieve a decisive outcome.

When he had taken on the mission in Beijing at the moment of crisis, Huang Shi had set himself the goal of dealing a heavy blow to the Later Jin grand army. He had originally estimated that with Nurhaci's arrogance, the Later Jin army would very likely split its forces and plunder the outskirts of Ningyuan, just as it had in history. And Huang Shi's original plan had been to concentrate his forces in Ningyuan Fortress, as Yuan Chonghuan had done historically, and when the Later Jin army divided its troops, use the three battalions of Dongjiang troops as the vanguard and the eleven battalions of Guan-Ning troops as the reserve, striving to fight a series of successive routs.

Ningyuan was a thousand li from Liaoyang, and winter was bitterly cold. If the Later Jin army were truly routed at Ningyuan, perhaps not one in ten of the Jianzhou troops would make it back alive. Such a great victory would be enough to declare the Liaodong war over.

But when he returned to Changsheng Island, Huang Shi encountered his first setback: Wu Mu had already transferred half the troops away.

Still, with three thousand men from Changsheng Island plus the eleven Guan-Ning battalions at Ningyuan and Juehua, the combined forces of Liaozhen and Dongjiangzhen still numbered nearly thirty thousand combat soldiers. Huang Shi had always believed the Guan-Ning troops lacked nothing but courage, and combat experience could be compensated for with equipment. The opposing Later Jin army was merely over ten thousand armored troops and a few thousand Mongol auxiliaries. The Ming army had the advantages of numbers and fighting on home ground; moreover, the insufferably arrogant Nurhaci was very likely to divide his forces.

Therefore, when he set out from Changsheng Island, Huang Shi was still brimming with confidence, fully intent on seizing the opportunity to destroy the Later Jin grand army in the frozen wastes of Liaoxi. But this beautiful dream was mercilessly shattered at Juehua. By then, Ningyuan Fortress had already begun martial law, and without the seven field battalions from Ningyuan, Huang Shi's forces were far too weak.

At this point, Huang Shi could only hope that Nurhaci would go mad and throw his life away, because Huang Shi no longer had the strength to launch an offensive, nor was he likely to rout the Later Jin main force. But at the Battle of Juehua, Nurhaci refused to cooperate by going mad; instead, he abandoned his Mongol auxiliaries and withdrew on his own. Facing a Later Jin army whose strength had not been greatly damaged, Huang Shi could only watch helplessly as they departed.

That being the case, Huang Shi could only settle for the next best thing: preventing Yuan Chonghuan's promotion. As a military officer now, Huang Shi was extremely unwilling for Yuan Chonghuan to have the chance to serve as Provincial Governor of Liaodong. Because Huang Shi was convinced that Yuan Chonghuan, in his bones, looked down on military men, and that Yuan Chonghuan was rather barbaric. To him, the laws and statutes of the imperial court... were nothing but scrap paper, meant to be torn up for amusement.

Since the Tang dynasty, when an emperor wanted to execute a second-rank official, he generally had to send him to the imperial prison and exhaustively investigate his crimes. This had been even more the case since the Ming began. Even Zhu Yuanzhang, as founding emperor, still had to observe formalities; when he killed Lan Yu, he had to fabricate charges and meticulously go through the entire set of procedures. With Huang Shi's current official rank, even the Son of Heaven no longer had the authority to simply drag him out the Meridian Gate and behead him. But Huang Shi knew that Yuan Chonghuan could not be measured by common sense. When this gentleman killed military officers, he was simple and brutal, even bolder than Zhu Hongwu.

In all of China's thousands of years, including all the emperors of the Han, Tang, the two Song, and the Great Ming, Yuan Chonghuan was the only man who dared to drag out and behead a full first-rank military officer without any procedure whatsoever. Huang Shi had to admit that this audacity surpassing the emperors of successive dynasties, and this hegemonic aura of "I alone reign supreme between heaven and earth," gave him an immense sense of intimidation.

Privately, Huang Shi knew that as long as he remained a military man for even one more day, no higher official rank would be of any use before Yuan Chonghuan. Although in the late Ming civil officials regarded military men as slaves, for someone like Yuan Chonghuan to "slaughter a military man like butchering a dog" was truly too outrageous. So for the sake of his own head, Huang Shi hoped Yuan Chonghuan would never have the chance to rise to power.

Publicly, through the Juehua defensive battle and the subsequent pursuit, Huang Shi had already established a certain prestige within the Guan-Ning army. Now Gao Di's prestige was swept away, and the Liaoxi military clans were utterly discredited. As long as there was no powerful figure in Liaoxi, his own ascension to Provincial Military Commander of Liaoxi would face no great resistance. Now Huang Shi already had three battalions of his own core troops and many affiliated forces; add to that the manpower and resources of Liaoxi, and Huang Shi believed that pacifying the Later Jin was not a very distant prospect.

Unfortunately, Huang Shi's full belly of wishful calculations was easily shattered by a single sentence from Zhao Yin. History was still moving along its original track. The current Right Vice Minister of War, Yan Mingtai, was a staunch advocate of deploying defenses beyond the passes. Even before Wang Zaijin fell from power, Yan Mingtai had advocated building fortifications at Juehua. Yan Mingtai believed that Juehua, isolated beyond the passes, was normally beyond the Later Jin's ability to seize, and concentrating forces to defend Juehua in winter was relatively easy. As long as Juehua remained in Ming hands for a single day, the Later Jin army could not press close to Shanhai Pass.

Historically, when faced with Gao Di's proposal to withdraw, Yan Mingtai had strongly advocated holding Ningyuan Fortress, and the imperial court ultimately adopted Yan Mingtai's strategy, promoting Yuan Chonghuan to Provincial Surveillance Commissioner based on Yan Mingtai's recommendation, so as to unify command over the three defense sectors and fifteen battalions of Ningyuan. Now Yuan Chonghuan was just one step away from Provincial Governor.

Huang Shi had known beforehand that the faction advocating holding the passes would win, and that holding the passes would inevitably require a unified command official. That was why he had racked his brains to meddle, even risking the Grand Secretariat's fury to forcibly demand the authority to oversee civil officials, precisely in the hope that the court would not promote Yuan Chonghuan to Provincial Surveillance Commissioner.

But after Huang Shi left the capital, the Grand Secretariat could not withstand the surging protests from the Ministry of War, and in the end drafted the memorial according to their wishes, promoting Yuan Chonghuan to Provincial Surveillance Commissioner just as in history, with authority over the three defense sectors of Ningyuan. Under pressure from the civil official bloc, the Tianqi Emperor ultimately agreed to this compromise: Yuan Chonghuan and Huang Shi would not oversee each other, but both would have command authority over the three defense sectors of Ningyuan.

In the historical Battle of Ningyuan, the Liaoxi Ming army had taken just over two hundred heads, whereas this time, the Battle of Juehua alone yielded nearly two thousand three hundred heads, and with the results of the pursuit, the total exceeded two thousand seven hundred. Since Yuan Chonghuan had already been promoted to Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, all victories beyond the passes would include a share of strategic planning credit for Yuan Chonghuan. Huang Shi sighed inwardly. As a military officer, he could not claim this credit, so Yuan Chonghuan's promotion to Provincial Governor of Liaodong was now a foregone conclusion.

"I understand. Tomorrow morning, I will go with my lord Zhao to pay respects to the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner." Since his plan had collapsed, Huang Shi dared not be remiss. He dared offend Sun Chengzong, but he did not dare offend Yuan Chonghuan. By now Huang Shi had made up his mind: whatever Zu Dashou had done historically, he would do the same. In any case, he absolutely must not repeat the tragic fates of Man Gui and Mao Wenlong.

"There is also the matter of reporting merits. Tomorrow, my lord Huang had best give the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner a definite answer." How the Juehua heads should be distributed, and how the various commanders had performed — these matters, by rights, should have been the responsibility of Zhao Yin as a civil official. But he had been absent much of the time, and Zhao Yin now admitted he understood nothing of military affairs. So he wanted Huang Shi to speak with Yuan Chonghuan himself.

"Many thanks for my lord Zhao's consideration."

After Zhao Yin left, Huang Shi summoned the six commanders from Juehua to discuss this matter. Over the past two days, under Huang Shi's direction, the six Guan-Ning commanders had redistributed the battle results. All the heads from the defensive battle and the subsequent pursuit had been pooled together. According to prior agreement, seventy percent of the total results belonged to the Guan-Ning army. This seventy percent of heads was further divided into nine shares: the three Assistant Regional Commanders — Yao Yuxian, Jin Guan, and Hu Yining — each took two shares, while the three Mobile Corps Commanders, including Zhang Guoqing, each took one share.

Yao Yuxian's share was not small either. The final pursuit battle counted as part of his merit, and Huang Shi would likewise add his name to the battle report. Everyone was well aware that this was a pursuit battle witnessed by civil officials. The civil officials of the Ningqian Circuit, in order to claim a share of the credit, would greatly exaggerate this pursuit.

This victory was already glorious enough. Since the Hongzhi reign, the largest single-battle head count against the northern barbarians had been just over a thousand. This time, Juehua alone yielded two thousand two hundred heads in a single battle, and in the pursuit battle, Assistant Regional Commander Jin and the others had taken over four hundred more heads, which would now be added to the single Juehua campaign. These past days, the six Guan-Ning commanders had thought of nothing but the rewards to come. At the thought of a single-battle total of two thousand seven hundred heads, the brothers were too excited to sleep, feeling that it was surely enough to produce several Regional Commanders.

After Huang Shi presided over the distribution of battle results, Assistant Regional Commander Yao and his colleagues were reconciled as before. With visions of a bright future in their hearts and no enemies or work before them, they naturally drank day and night. When happy events come, a man's spirits soar. Since fighting the pursuit battle, Jin Guan now slept soundly, ate with relish, felt in excellent health, and even his voice had grown much louder.

Because he was aware of Yao Yuxian and Jin Guan's past misdeeds, Huang Shi had originally held some reservations about the two of them. But after spending this period of time together, Huang Shi's view of the Juehua commanders was constantly changing. Jin Guan had once said on the battlefield: "The feeling of chasing the enemy is truly wonderful." Although these were words spoken without thought, they deeply moved Huang Shi.

As the saying goes, the troops take their courage from their commander. Huang Shi could not help recalling his own first time on the battlefield at Guangning, when, facing the murderous Later Jin grand army, his only option had been to flee in panic. Although these Juehua commanders were timid, had plenty of peasant mentality, and were always trying to gain petty advantages, Huang Shi knew very well that without their cooperation there would have been no victory. Now Huang Shi also classified Assistant Regional Commander Yao and the others into the category of "salvageable subjects."

On New Year's Eve of the fifth year of Tianqi, Zhao Yin first presided, leading everyone in rites to Heaven, Earth, and the successive emperors of the Great Ming. Then the civil officials went to worship King Wenxuan, while the military officers, led by Huang Shi, worshipped King Yue. After Huang Shi finished reciting the standard prayer, he led everyone in offering incense and performing obeisances. The assembled military officers were all solemn, each with a face as still as water.

The final part of the ceremony required an address from Huang Shi. The Juehua commanders all stood behind Huang Shi, quietly waiting. Huang Shi had prepared a draft in his mind beforehand, but as the solemn sacrificial ceremony proceeded, looking at the lifelike sculpture of King Yue before him and thinking of his own aspirations and struggles over the past five years, he was suddenly overcome with emotion and forgot his task entirely.

By now, Assistant Regional Commander Yao had recovered his original standing. He had been waiting close behind Huang Shi for a long time and finally could not help but cough lightly, softly reminding him: "Military Commander Huang."

"Oh." Huang Shi awoke from his reverie, but for a moment could not recall his draft. He stared blankly at the wooden figure before him.

A mere military man, who lost his father in childhood, mother and son fallen into hardship, born from the humblest origins, walking among the ranks — yet such a man could leave behind an eternal good name, enjoy reverence for ten thousand generations, make emperors pale, and cause heroes to sigh with regret. King Yue sat there quietly, his eyes gazing motionlessly at Huang Shi. From such an ordinary wooden carving, there came a force that made Huang Shi feel suffocated.

— That I could transmigrate to this late Ming era; that I could survive and become a frontier general defending home and country; that I could follow in the wake of King Yue and protect the people of Huaxia from the ravages of war — truly, what great fortune.

A powerful surge of emotion flooded his heart, and Huang Shi blurted out: "This is what a great man should be!"

Then he drained his wine in one gulp and solemnly raised the bowl toward King Yue, as if offering a toast to a senior, to a teacher. The Guan-Ning commanders, hearing this unconventional prayer, were silent for a moment, then the sound of gulping wine followed. After draining his bowl, Assistant Regional Commander Yao imitated Huang Shi's gesture with his empty bowl and loudly vowed to King Yue: "This is what a great man should be! How exhilarating, how exhilarating."

After the rites ended, it was time for the joyous banquet. Although Huang Shi felt there had been a bit too much merrymaking lately, social obligations were social obligations. At the banquet, Huang Shi felt that Assistant Regional Commander Jin and Assistant Regional Commander Yao had reconciled as before, because he noticed the two fellows secretly exchanging glances again. A moment later, he saw Assistant Regional Commander Yao approaching with a wine bowl, his face full of drunkenness, his eyes bleary as if he had already drunk too much.

Feigning drunken abandon, Assistant Regional Commander Yao chatted with Huang Shi about women. After a few exchanges, he steered the topic toward Huang Shi personally, all the while thinking he was being subtle and unnoticed.

"Elder Brother Yao jests. When I joined the army at Guangning, I was extremely poor and could not afford betrothal gifts to marry. Now, let alone a wife, I do not even have a concubine." After readily clearing up Assistant Regional Commander Yao's doubts, Huang Shi consciously lowered his head, so as not to obstruct the utterly drunk Assistant Regional Commander Yao's communication with his companion.

As Huang Shi lowered his head to drink, he could well imagine the scene of Assistant Regional Commander Yao and Assistant Regional Commander Jin's gazes crisscrossing fiercely in the air. In his ears, he could almost hear the crackling sparks as those lines of sight collided. Dongjiang Regional Commander Mao Wenlong was an exception; he had been an officer back in Liaodongzhen and had already returned to Hangzhou to marry. But the lifelong personal matters of ordinary Dongjiang army officers had always been a stubborn, difficult problem.

Generally speaking, girls from families of any standing were unwilling to marry into military households. Military officers usually married within the hereditary military clans. But the Dongjiang officers almost all came from the ranks; they had been common soldiers before, so naturally no military clans came to arrange marriages with them. Moreover, the Dongjiang officers, originally from impoverished Liaodong military households, mostly could not afford to marry. Now that their status had risen, most of them also had higher demands for a wife, so they were unwilling to hastily settle for just anyone. The result was a scene of failing to meet high standards and being unwilling to accept low ones.

Furthermore, with the flames of war raging across Liaodong, the mortality rate for women was far higher than for men, so the sex ratio in Dongjiangzhen was severely imbalanced, further exacerbating the marriage difficulties of Dongjiang officers. For example, Dongjiang Vice General Chen Jisheng, though his official rank was very high, had been stuck in that godforsaken place Kuandian, so no woman of good family was willing to marry him. Historically, it was only after Marshal Mao's death that Vice Regional Commander Chen steeled his heart and took Marshal Mao's concubine as his wife, finally living a life with a family.

Another example was Huang Shi's sworn elder brother, Kong Youde. He too had never had the chance to marry because of poverty. In the original history, Kong Youde rose to Assistant Regional Commander through bravery and skill in battle, but still no woman of good family was willing to marry him. Kong Youde remained alone until the age of forty. In the fourth year of Chongzhen, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and other Dongjiang officers rebelled in Dengzhou. Since they had already committed capital crimes anyway, Kong Youde simply took the lead in forcibly seizing daughters of officials and gentry as wives, finally ending his bachelorhood along with his subordinates.

Although Huang Shi now held relatively high status, he was still not a man of Liaoxi, and he was an upstart who had climbed up from a common soldier. Besides, Dongjiangzhen was poor and had no perks, so Huang Shi figured that Assistant Regional Commander Yao was merely probing, still far from any substantive action. But since he was now deliberately cultivating good relations with the Guan-Ning military officers, there was no need to lie on this minor issue, lest others think he was keeping them at arm's length.

When Huang Shi raised his head, Assistant Regional Commander Yao and the others had already completed their visual conversation. As Huang Shi expected, Yao Yuxian did not press further questions but instead changed the subject again. However, Hu Yining, seated below Assistant Regional Commander Jin, was brimming with energy and wore an expression of great relief, as if he had just cast off some heavy psychological burden. A while later, Assistant Regional Commander Hu, all smiles, went to offer a toast to Zhao Yin — the first time he had done so in days.

The sixth year of Tianqi, New Year's Day

In the few days since arriving at Juehua, Huang Shi had drunk more wine than in all his previous years combined. But last night he had been very restrained, because today he was going to pay a formal visit to Yuan Chonghuan, a matter that absolutely could not be handled carelessly.

This morning, Huang Shi rose very early, but Zhao Yin was suffering from a hangover. When he came out, he repeatedly apologized to Huang Shi, who had been waiting a long time. Huang Shi, fully understanding, naturally had no complaints. After Zhao Yin washed and dressed, the two set out together for Ningyuan Fortress.

Huang Shi had already carefully inquired about matters concerning Yuan Chonghuan the day before, but on the road, he still took the trouble to ask Zhao Yin once more. Zhao Yin sensed Huang Shi's nervousness and could not help but explain kindly: "The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner has always thought highly of General Huang. In this great victory over the Jianzhou slaves, General Huang's contributions are supreme. The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner must also be eager to meet General Huang."

Huang Shi smiled and nodded repeatedly: "I am most honored."

As soon as they arrived beneath the walls of Ningyuan Fortress, soldiers rushed ahead to report. After entering the city, Huang Shi followed Zhao Yin straight to the government office. As they were about to arrive, Zhao Yin saw that the central gate of the office was already open and said to Huang Shi with a smile: "It seems the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner intends to come out personally to welcome General Huang."

Huang Shi was greatly alarmed: "How could that be proper?"

"Why would it not be proper?" Zhao Yin asked in puzzlement. As Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent and having been granted the Imperial Sword, Huang Shi now held equal status with Yuan Chonghuan. Both could oversee military affairs beyond the passes without being subordinate to each other; one could even say they stood as equals.

By now they had arrived outside the main gate of the government office. Zhao Yin dismounted and stood waiting for Huang Shi to first exchange equal courtesies with Yuan Chonghuan, after which he himself would go forward and perform the subordinate's salute.

But they saw Huang Shi, after dismounting, stride forward in a flash, bow deeply, raise his hands, and perform a grand kneeling salute: "Your subordinate Huang Shi, pays respects to Provincial Surveillance Commissioner my lord Yuan."