[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-261":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},1220878,1614,"Chapter 261: Section 18: Undercurrents","stealing-ming-chapter-261",261,"\u003Cp>Jin Qiude shot a sidelong glance at Zhao Manxiong and retorted coldly, \"What do you mean, my opportunity? Weren't you thinking the same thing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong let out a hearty laugh and hastily waved his hand. \"Stop, hold it — tacit understanding, tacit understanding. It loses all meaning once spoken aloud.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But all of this is your deduction. You have no evidence whatsoever.\" Jin Qiude snorted and pulled the topic back. He hesitated a moment, then murmured, \"What you say makes a great deal of sense, but... men like Zhang Jun have still existed in this world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"True. But we can push the deduction further. If Yuan Chonghuan is merely foolish, then of course the matter ends there. But if he is a treacherous schemer... heh heh, last night the more I pondered Lord Yuan's opening remarks, the more intriguing they became. Using the matter of that Zhao girl as a starting point — truly, the subtle depths are inexhaustible. The first advantage is that it safely probes our lord's psychological bottom line. Yuan Chonghuan held high the banner of offering help; no one can accuse him of moral failing. You saw through that at a glance. At first, yesterday, my view was the same as yours. But when I thought it over carefully again last night, I realized his deeper intent goes far beyond that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you truly not understand? Was our lord not in a mortal predicament at that moment?\" Zhao Manxiong slowly stepped forward again, Jin Qiude walking shoulder to shoulder with him. Indeed, he had not spent the whole night thinking in vain. Another veil of pretense was gently lifted by Zhao Manxiong, and the scene behind it gradually came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That day, our lord's reaction was extremely fierce, but it was also the only way to draw a clear line against peace negotiations. Otherwise, when the matter of peace talks came to light in the future, our lord, having participated in that discussion, would inevitably have no defense whatsoever. So if our lord had not stormed out at that moment, Yuan Chonghuan would already have bound him to his peace-talk chariot. And our lord's use of a baffling pretext to submit a memorial impeaching Yuan Chonghuan was, in fact, the most powerful means of attack. Because our lord's reputation precedes him, the Emperor would certainly investigate what this was all about, and then our lord's stance would be unmistakably clear.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Qiude's reaction was equally swift. He greatly approved of this point: \"Hmm, as you put it, our lord's response, which seemed like a misstep, was actually the most reasonable course of action?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. Clearly, in our lord's mind, he was dealing with Yuan Chonghuan as a treacherous schemer. But since ancient times, men of great treachery and great evil have invariably been men of great intelligence and great courage. If I were Yuan Chonghuan, although I probed in every way and felt that our lord could seemingly be molded at will, still, with our lord's many years of renowned valor, I would not be entirely off guard. This brings us back to the matter of that Zhao girl...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You need say no more. If I still don't understand at this point, then I'm an idiot.\" Jin Qiude cut Zhao Manxiong off. He drew a deep breath and continued Zhao Manxiong's line of reasoning: \"If I were Yuan Chonghuan, I would certainly submit a self-impeachment memorial at the earliest possible moment. The pretext would undoubtedly be that my words were reckless, causing discord between civil and military officials. If I were to write this self-impeachment, the content would certainly be in a tone of bitter regret, saying I should not have provoked our lord with the matter of that Zhao girl, but in reality it would confirm the fact that our lord has a moral failing. That is the first point.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well said. And the second?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second, the matter of peace talks would be glossed over in a single stroke, making people feel that our lord was lashing out in shame and anger, seizing on a pretext. And this self-impeachment would certainly go through the Office of Transmission and directly reach the Grand Secretariat, creating a first impression. The more fiercely our lord makes a fuss afterward, the more it proves him petty and narrow-minded, like a ridiculous clown.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Excellent. And the third?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Third, our lord currently enjoys His Majesty's high favor. Although the Emperor would think our lord has a minor moral blemish, he would certainly keep all these documents held at court without issuing them. Naturally, not a single word about the peace talks would leak out, leaving Yuan Chonghuan's reputation untarnished. But the Emperor would surely also want to reconcile the civil and military sides, and this reconciliation would most likely begin with our lord. When the time comes, it would be improper for our lord to accept, and improper not to accept. Because if our lord accepts the Emperor's reconciliation, then naturally Yuan Chonghuan was right — our lord is petty and using public office for private vengeance. Conversely, if our lord does not accept, that would be a slight to the Emperor's face, and our lord's image would only become doubly unsightly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marvelous. And the fourth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The fourth? Hmm, is there a fourth?\" Jin Qiude furrowed his brows and pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his head. \"Oh, right. Although Yuan Chonghuan's memorial would not be circulated, the matter of Zhao Yin's sister's loss of virtue would inevitably reach others' ears. Censors can submit memorials based on hearsay. Originally, one would need concrete news of that Zhao girl to impeach Lord Zhao, but now it's different. Once the matter becomes a boiling uproar, Lord Zhao would instead need to prove that his own sister has not damaged the family's honor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Penetrating and incisive!\" Zhao Manxiong let out a loud exclamation, his face filled with cold sneers. \"Indeed. In the battles of Ningyuan and Juehua, Juehua far outshone Ningyuan. Zhao Yin nearly stole all of Yuan Chonghuan's thunder. With this uproar, Lord Zhao would resign in resentment, and all the credit would naturally belong to Yuan Chonghuan alone. Furthermore...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Qiude cut in: \"Furthermore, that Zhao Yin would inevitably hate our lord, not Yuan Chonghuan. The old grudges over his elder sister and father remain unresolved, and now this resignation adds fresh enmity. Who knows how he would rail against our lord to the censors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This also indirectly proves Yuan Chonghuan's deep foresight and meticulous planning. Two years ago, after the marriage proposal affair went awry, our lord had me discuss with Eunuch Wu how to handle Zhao Yin. Given that single-minded Zhao Yin, I originally thought he would surely attack our lord in a furious rage, but afterward there was utter silence. If I'm not mistaken, it must have been Yuan Chonghuan, then serving as Ningqian Circuit Intendant, who suppressed the matter, thereby gaining a hold over our lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well then, what should we do now?\" Jin Qiude rubbed his hands together and sighed repeatedly. \"Why didn't you go to Juehua with him? If your deductions hold true, then our lord should go see Zhao Yin and agree to the marriage alliance. Once everyone discovers that our lord and Lord Zhao had a marriage contract long ago, all of Yuan Chonghuan's rhetoric becomes self-defeating, a deliberate confusion of right and wrong. And Zhao Yin would also feel grateful because our lord preserved his official position.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And then talk to Zhao Yin, corner him so he won't go around wagging his tongue. Best of all, privately promise to testify for him before the Ministry of Rites. That way, Yuan Chonghuan would have no idea that things have changed and would still proceed according to his original plan. Is that what you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly. Precisely so. Brother Zhao's deep foresight and long-term planning — I am far from your equal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong laughed a few times. \"Brother Jin, you flatter me. I would absolutely never have thought this far originally. It was only because our lord's two words 'selling out the country' were spoken so abruptly. Last night I pondered for a long time and concluded that only if our lord had made such a judgment about Yuan Chonghuan would his subsequent series of actions become logically coherent. All my deductions today are, in fact, built upon our lord's peculiar assessment of Yuan Chonghuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Qiude was instantly dumbfounded. Only after a moment did he exclaim in shock: \"You're saying all of this is our lord's deduction?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. It was our lord who awakened me to it. So everything we just discussed — our lord has surely thought of it all as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our lord met Yuan Chonghuan for the first time, spoke with him for the first time, heard only a few sentences, and immediately concluded that he is a treacherous schemer, that he will privately pursue peace talks in the future, and that he will scheme against pro-war generals? You, as an armchair strategist after the fact, needed a full day and night to think it through, yet our lord judged it in an instant?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong shrugged. \"I don't know how our lord could draw such a conclusion from just a few words. I only know that the moment our lord shouted those two words 'selling out the country,' he had already passed judgment on Yuan Chonghuan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In other words, if Yuan Chonghuan submits a self-impeachment along the lines we've envisioned today, then our lord's intuitive judgment was not wrong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed. Our lord — heh heh — aside from that one visit to the Zhang family, from Guangning onward, have you ever seen him do a single thing that was meaningless or lacking in foresight?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Qiude fell silent for a while, then said in a low voice: \"No. Every action our lord takes is based on calculation. Just like in this pursuit battle at Juehua — our lord factored even himself into the equation, weighing military morale, fighting spirit, and the potential gains, then making his choices... The feeling our lord gives me is like the windmills he built on Zhongdao, like the boring lathe he bought, like all those things our lord calls machines — almost inhuman. The longer I follow our lord, the less I can see through what he is thinking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice of their conversation gradually lowered. Jin Qiude walked in silence, brooding anxiously over his own ambitions. Suddenly, he grabbed Zhao Manxiong and pulled him down to crouch behind a clump of grass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Up ahead — isn't that He Dingyuan and Yang Zhiyuan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It has to be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are they talking about? It sounds like lovers' talk between a man and a woman?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems so.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could they be...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That woman standing to the side watching, holding a child — she looks like Lady He. She's actually standing there watching. Heavens.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shh. Keep your voice down. Let's get out of here quickly. If they discover we've stumbled upon this kind of thing, none of us will be able to save face.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the movement was slight, it did not escape He Dingyuan's eyes. He observed for a moment with suspicion, then turned to Yang Zhiyuan and said, \"The backs of those two — they look somewhat like Jin Qiude and Zhao Manxiong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Zhiyuan also narrowed his eyes and watched for a moment, then nodded. \"They do look somewhat like them. But why wouldn't they come out and greet us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could they be out here for a secret rendezvous?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dingyuan and Yang Zhiyuan exchanged a glance, each seeing shock in the other's eyes. In unison, they said, \"They're afraid of letting us find out, aren't they?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've always said it — our lord's rules are stifling people to death. But still... now that so many female teachers have clearly arrived, why don't those two go take a stroll around the instructors' quarters...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman's voice rang out: \"You're all colleagues. The two of you keep your mouths shut.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, sister-in-law.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aiya, how tiresome.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eleventh day of the second month, the sixth year of the Tianqi reign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frontier troops entering the capital?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A buzz of commotion rippled through the old camp. The officers of Changsheng Island all began whispering among themselves. Huang Shi smiled and raised the imperial edict in his hand high, displaying it for all to see. Wu Mu, standing at his side, tried his best to suppress the smugness on his face, but the corners of his mouth still curled upward involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That morning, the imperial edict had arrived at Changsheng Island. To celebrate the unprecedented great victory at Juehua, with two thousand five hundred heads taken, Tianqi specially granted the two battalions of Firefighting and Vanguard the extraordinary honor of entering the capital. This was also the Emperor displaying military might to the realm — not merely to show his subjects a formidable frontier army, but also carrying the implication of overawing domestic and surrounding potential enemies: Let all of you who wish to stir up trouble for the Great Ming look clearly — the war situation in Liaodong is steadily stabilizing, the Great Ming's official forces have already regained the upper hand, and this elite unit can now be drawn out as a strategic mobile force. Whoever among you thinks your life is too long, feel free to step forward and try.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such displays of military might had not occurred since the Zhengde reign. Huang Shi savored the meaning of the edict; the smug satisfaction of the Tianqi Emperor within the Forbidden City overflowed from the paper. In this battle, the commanders at Juehua and Guanning had also made many kills, and moreover had been the main force in the subsequent pursuit. Therefore, the Grand Secretariat\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>believed that the Later Jin were nothing much, and that the elite troops of Liaozhen were sufficient for the task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Emperor and the Grand Secretariat were also cautious. They did not stipulate a specific date for entering the capital. The court's intent was that Huang Shi should take advantage of the current, slightly stabilized war situation to enter the capital with lightning speed, make a show of military force, and then race back at top speed to deal with the Later Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Huang Shi felt this notion was somewhat childish, when he thought of Tianqi's childlike age, he felt reconciled to the young Emperor's vanity. Huang Shi had already submitted the detailed merit roster, and Tianqi approved it all. Because of Huang Shi's request for commendation, he also specially approved that Zhang Minghe and Zhang Guanshui could revert to their original surnames; henceforth they would be Jia Minghe and Pu Guanshui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving together with the imperial edict was a naval battalion dispatched by the Tianjin Guard. The Tianqi Emperor had specially allocated two hundred thousand taels of silver from the inner treasury to fund this display of military might, and even said that if it was insufficient, they could ask him for more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a military standpoint, temporarily drawing two battalions out of Liaonan was not entirely unfeasible. After the recovery of Gaizhou, the warning line of the Liaonan Dongjiang Army had again been pushed far forward. Just as the Later Jin regime had done before, the Left Associate Command of Dongjiangzhen also maintained a token defense of Gaizhou, merely building a small fortress beside the city and leaving a little over a hundred cavalry on alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Later Jin main army seized the chance to sweep south in force, by the time they had stockpiled provisions at Gaizhou, Huang Shi would likely have already returned from Beijing. But if only a portion of the Later Jin troops passed through Fuzhou, they might not be able to gain any advantage against the Boulder Camp and the other Dongjiang Army battalions, especially since the Dongjiang Army would also enjoy the home-field advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since Zhang Pan led fifty men to recover Lüshun, the Vanguard Camp had been the combat unit of the Dongjiang Army in Liaonan. Its history was even longer than that of the Firefighting Camp, which Huang Shi had personally built from scratch. Therefore, the imperial court’s decision to summon both camps to the capital this time not only served to balance the Liaonan factions, but also subtly hinted to the Dongjiang headquarters and the Right Auxiliary that the court would never forget Mao Wenlong’s pioneering achievements, nor the Dongjiang soldiers fighting bitterly in places like Kuandian in Liaodong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, although the court knew that the Vanguard Camp was very close to Huang Shi — they had even changed their battle flag, and Huang Shi had never bothered to conceal this — the court had no idea just how powerfully and thoroughly Huang Shi controlled the Vanguard Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The training corps occupied the ordinary officers’ and soldiers’ drill time. Their off-duty life, in turn, was deeply influenced by the Loyalty-to-Throne-and-Patriotic Catholicism, and the chess, card, and football matches beloved by the broad mass of officers and soldiers were all under the Church’s control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this round-the-clock indoctrination, the Vanguard Camp had long since been completely swallowed by the Changsheng Island system. Their families had also been moved by Huang Shi to Changsheng Island to eat in the communal mess together. The Vanguard Camp’s several military leaders had shallow roots to begin with, so they had all been reduced from independent status to subordinate officers like He Dingyuan and Jin Qiude. And the merits Huang Shi distributed to them left them fully content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the late Wanli reign onward, the imperial household’s internal treasury revenue had greatly increased. The maritime tax alone exceeded four million taels of silver, roughly twice the state’s regular tax revenue. Although the Tianqi Emperor was somewhat free-spending, the internal treasury was still full at this time, so Huang Shi knew that entering the capital now would be a lucrative assignment — the Son of Heaven, for the sake of decorum, was certain to bestow lavish rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two camps together had five thousand officers and soldiers. Making a hard trip to the capital to earn face for the Emperor — each man had to be rewarded at least ten taels of silver, otherwise how could it reflect the nation’s wealth and strength? So at the very least they could net tens of thousands of taels of silver. Adding in other miscellaneous rewards, Huang Shi believed he could recoup several years’ worth of military pay. The other officers shared Huang Shi’s view, and every face was glowing with anticipation of going to Beijing to strike it rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dongjiang Town Left Auxiliary received only a few tens of thousands of taels in military pay each year. Presumably the commanders of the other divisions also hoped to get a share of the pie. Huang Shi sent word to Zhang Pan and the others to assist in defending Fuzhou, and announced that all troops assisting in the defense of Fuzhou would receive extra military pay. All along, Huang Shi had always eaten the meat while his subordinates at least got some soup to drink — this fine tradition absolutely could not be abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changsheng Island carried out an emergency mobilization. The Vanguard Camp was transferred to Changsheng Island, while the Boulder Camp swiftly moved to Fuzhou to take over their defense zone. After Zhang Pan and the Shang Keyi brothers received Huang Shi’s order, they too began preparing to march to Fuzhou in high spirits. Huang Shi guaranteed that they would eat and drink well in Fuzhou, and would also give each of their soldiers a reward payment and new clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Liaonan was busily preparing to enter the capital to display military might for the Son of Heaven, the Emperor received a memorial from Sun Chengzong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Wenlong, with a lone sword, faced a den of jackals and wolves, drifting amidst gales and billows. By his strength he could bind vassal states, rally scattered peoples, simultaneously garrison and fight, and repeatedly thwart the owl-like chieftain. Moreover, his ambition is to follow your servant’s request — to pull his tail and smash his nest. Those in the world who are timid, hesitant, and tremble at the mere thought of being unable to defend themselves — he alone believes the foe can be captured. Truly this is enough to rouse the righteous courage of all heroes under Heaven, and instantly make those who shrink back and restrain themselves die of shame with no place to hide…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This memorial began with Mao Wenlong building his force from two hundred soldiers, and summarized his painstaking efforts to establish Dongjiang Town, gather refugees, and control Korea. Mao Wenlong’s recent command of the Dongjiang refugee forces in a direct strike toward Shenyang formed a stark contrast with the civil and military officials of Liaoxi and the Guanning Army. Historically, this memorial had caused Gao Di to fall from power immediately, but today, after Tianqi finished reading it, he turned the memorial back over and carefully searched it again: “Mr. Sun does not seem to have mentioned Huang Shi — not a single word.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Tianqi slowly closed the memorial and gently set it aside. His tone betrayed some disappointment and regret: “Mr. Sun seems to hold too deep a prejudice against Huang Shi. As for my decree ordering the frontier troops to enter the capital, Mr. Sun opposed it even more fiercely.”\u003C\u002Fp>",3580,"2026-06-04T07:54:54.057Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","4016361dd381d7fb4f37dc6dab1681cdfeba357872ff6d20e7ba8f6b5f665a6e","stealing-ming-chapter-262","stealing-ming-chapter-260",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]