[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-272":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},1220889,1614,"Chapter 272","stealing-ming-chapter-272",272,"\u003Cp>On the twelfth day of the seventh month of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, Zhangsheng Island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the list of Jianzhou slave spies hiding within our Zhangsheng Island. Please review it, my lord.\" Zhao Manxiong handed Huang Shi a one-page report listing over twenty men and women, six of whom had infiltrated Zhangsheng Island, while the remaining dozen or so had been developed later by these spies. Each name was followed by their assigned duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi read through it carefully. None of them had infiltrated critical positions. Satisfied, he set the list down. \"Mm. And what about our own people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The list of our personnel, please review it, my lord.\" Zhao Manxiong handed over a thick report recording over eighty names, covering every critical department — Internal Guard, Military Intelligence, Military Law, the Instruction Corps, and others — with about ten percent of them holding officer rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Most of these people are operating independently; they are unaware of our entire intelligence network.\" For the past half year, Huang Shi had let Zhao Manxiong direct the internal security intelligence work. Zhao Manxiong believed that on an island as large as Zhangsheng, with military regulations as strict as they were, there were bound to be countless people dissatisfied with the rules, and Zhang Zaidi's original church confession records fully supported Zhao Manxiong's view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Zhao Manxiong's opinion, these people nursing grievances could not be entirely eliminated, nor could Zhangsheng Island stop officers and soldiers from grumbling now and then. But these chronic complainers were precisely the people most susceptible to being bought off by the enemy. So Zhao Manxiong fabricated one opposition group after another, each expressing discontent with different policies on Zhangsheng Island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No matter how properly my lord handles matters, no matter how thoroughly he considers them, there will always be a few individuals who are dissatisfied. And given enough time, they will inevitably form small groups with a common language. In my humble opinion, rather than wait for them to form their own groups, it is better for us to manufacture them — that way they are easier to control.\" This was what Zhao Manxiong said when he proposed the entire concept to Huang Shi. Huang Shi greatly admired this line of thinking. As the saying goes, it is better to channel a flood than to dam it — nip trouble in the bud. Most discontented officers and soldiers were merely venting a few complaints. Beyond the Loyalty to the Sovereign and Patriotic Catholic Church, having one more institution to listen to grievances could do no harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from his excessively slow temperament, Mobile Corps Commander Zhao's professional competence was very strong. A fictitious resistance group had now been established on Zhangsheng Island. The people most fiercely attacking the marriage and military law regulations Huang Shi had set up were, in reality, all internal agents of the Zhangsheng Island Military Intelligence Division. Zhao Manxiong had given this fictitious internal resistance group the codename \"Zhangsheng Island Earth Wolves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the \"Zhangsheng Island Wolves\" group took shape, Zhao Manxiong quickly used it to observe a number of suspicious figures — individuals who were especially active, not only eagerly making contact with grumbling officers and soldiers, but always trying to position themselves as trusted listeners to their innermost thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Excellent. The Jianzhou slave spies are now basically under our control.\" As Huang Shi spoke, he flipped through another set of materials from Zhao Manxiong. Inside was the intelligence the Zhangsheng Island Military Intelligence Division was preparing to leak to the Later Jin side. Zhao Manxiong and Li Yunrui had painstakingly broken large pieces of intelligence into scattered fragments, then leaked them through different people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These fragments might eventually be assembled on the Later Jin side. Zhao Manxiong intended to let the opponent play a jigsaw puzzle game. He believed that complete military intelligence obtained too easily was likely to be suspected. It would be better to let the other side receive various vague intelligence fragments, including some that contradicted each other. Only military intelligence that the Later Jin side deduced through their own reasoning would earn their full trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having proudly accepted Huang Shi's praise, Zhao Manxiong added with a smile: \"I only fear they may not be able to piece it together. After all, we have an entire Military Intelligence Division working on this every day — the Jianzhou slaves may not have the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then that is your problem. Draft a set of regulations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi had long since admitted that his own intellect was insufficient to contend with the top minds of this era. So his first reaction was always to establish a set of standing rules, then record all lessons learned, forming a system to counter the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having followed Huang Shi for so many years, Zhao Manxiong had long grown accustomed to and approved of this method. With full confidence, he said: \"My lord's insight is profound. I am currently working on this. In my humble opinion, if the Jianzhou slaves understand what we want them to see, they will try to verify it, or respond with corresponding countermeasures. If they do not understand, then they will try to collect more military intelligence. Therefore, we can gauge our effectiveness based on the Jianzhou slaves' reactions. By recording these, we can understand their fragment-assembly capability. This should also serve as the foundation for our army's regulations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well said.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since he had pulled Zhao Manxiong from the position of Chief of Staff, Huang Shi had come to regard him as something like a \"Minister Without Portfolio\" — or perhaps \"Minister of All Portfolios.\" Whenever Huang Shi was stretched too thin, he dispatched Zhao Manxiong to handle specific matters. At present, Zhao Manxiong was in charge of reorganizing the work of the Zhangsheng Island Military Intelligence Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Internal Guard on Zhangsheng Island also seemed to need some reorganization at the moment. Just as Huang Shi was considering whether he could pull Zhao Manxiong away from the \"Wolves\" organization, the latter produced two more reports. \"My lord, I have two more lists here. Please review them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi took the two thin slips of paper. Each bore a few names, and like the previous two, the names were followed by annotations of their specific duties — but the notes below were entirely different. This made Huang Shi ponder for a long while before he looked up and asked: \"Are you certain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Based on the intelligence they were probing for and their contacts, I have basically confirmed their identities. One group is gathering intelligence for the Liaodong Regional Military Commission, and the other is secretly gathering information for Army Supervisor Wu. However, faced with our Zhangsheng Island's formidable security, neither has any reliable sources of information.\" The individuals Zhao Manxiong referred to were all mere common soldiers, most likely bought off with trifling gains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi recalled that his Internal Guard system also had relevant secret records. After a moment's thought, he said to Zhao Manxiong: \"Although we have always pretended not to notice the court's surveillance system, the Internal Guard has in fact detected it and has recorded some materials while keeping them hidden from Eunuch Wu. You can check with Hong Antong on this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, my lord. That is precisely the issue I wish to raise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong pointed out to Huang Shi that according to Zhangsheng Island regulations, the Military Intelligence Division was responsible for matters concerning the Later Jin, and all materials obtained were not kept secret from Wu Mu. Intelligence concerning the Great Ming side, however, fell under the Internal Guard's jurisdiction. Although Wu Mu had meddled in the Internal Guard, there were core secrets he had never learned. Therefore, for security reasons, Internal Guard intelligence was not shared with the Zhangsheng Island Military Intelligence Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Wolves system had originally been created to deal with the Later Jin, but once it began operating, it ended up also uncovering agents from the Liaodong Regional Military Commission, the Eastern Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard systems. This created a jurisdictional complication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Either assign this system to the Internal Guard, or assign it to the Military Intelligence Division. For the sake of both secrecy and streamlining, I believe we must change the current situation of internal mutual obstruction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm, that makes sense. Which do you think it should be assigned to — the Military Intelligence Division or the Internal Guard?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Military Intelligence Division.\" Zhao Manxiong answered without the slightest hesitation. He had already thoroughly considered the matter before coming to see Huang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, please consider carefully...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear that Zhao Manxiong had indeed thought this issue through deeply. Faced with Huang Shi's question, he appeared fully confident and answered very fluently: The members of the \"Zhangsheng Island Wolves\" were all subordinates of the Military Intelligence Division to begin with, and this organization had been created from start to finish under the planning of the Military Intelligence Division. The responsible officers at every level were currently under Military Intelligence Division command. Therefore, Zhao Manxiong believed that incorporating the \"Wolves\" organization into the Military Intelligence Division was entirely reasonable and highly efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for secrecy, Zhao Manxiong did not consider it a major problem. At worst, they could assign dedicated personnel to handle materials related to the Liaodong Regional Military Commission, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Eastern Depot. He even suggested transferring personnel from the Internal Guard who had previously handled related issues to the Military Intelligence Division. Since the Internal Guard had managed it before, the Military Intelligence Division could naturally do the same, and it would not increase the number of people in the know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong laid out all the reasons he had thought of in a measured, articulate manner. After hearing them, Huang Shi also felt there were no major issues. But making hasty decisions was not Huang Shi's habit, nor did it conform to Zhangsheng Island's customary practice. Zhao Manxiong was now the direct manager of the Military Intelligence Division, so Huang Shi instructed: \"Go write down these reasons and submit them to me for careful review. If there are no major problems, I will hand it to Hong Antong and have him transfer the personnel and files to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As ordered.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. There is one more matter — regarding the issue of the Jianzhou slaves' rumors. I asked you to go back and think about it last time. Have you made any headway?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, please consider carefully. In my humble opinion, it is best that we say nothing at all on this matter, lest we arouse even more suspicion.\" Zhao Manxiong believed there was simply no good solution. The more one argued about such things, the worse the outcome — it would only make matters worse the more one tried to explain. Therefore, Zhao Manxiong believed the best approach was to handle it coldly: pretend completely not to have heard, or adopt an attitude of disdain too great to even bother defending oneself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi gave a bitter smile upon hearing this. \"Do you think I don't want to? But the tree may wish to be still, yet the wind will not cease. News has just arrived from the court — a censor has already impeached me for destroying the bonds of human relationships.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The court? A censor? Impeaching my lord for destroying the bonds of human relationships?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. A censor, acting on hearsay, has submitted a memorial demanding that I defend myself — whether I killed my own elder brother, whether I killed my wife. If so, I must defend my reasons for killing them. Heh heh, the Jianzhou slaves' rumors have long since spread through the capital.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the dumbfounded Zhao Manxiong, Huang Shi gave another cold laugh. \"If it were only the Jianzhou slaves spreading this unilaterally, the censor would not have enough grounds to impeach. But the problem is that the Liaodong Regional Military Commission is saying the same thing — that greatly magnifies the impact.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong recovered his wits. He leaned closer to Huang Shi and asked in a low voice: \"Is it that dog official Yuan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who else could it be but that villain Yuan Chonghuan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier that month, once the rumors emerged from the Later Jin side, Yuan Chonghuan immediately wrote an effusively enthusiastic memorial to the imperial court, lavishly praising Huang Shi's repeated acts of placing righteousness above family ties. In the memorial, Yuan Chonghuan not only instantly endorsed these \"righteous acts\" of Huang Shi's, but also helped describe them in vivid detail. After Yuan Chonghuan's artistic embellishment, the Later Jin's originally rather dry rumors became far more lifelike and dramatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Huang Shi arguing with his traitorous elder brother in Kaiyuan, then executing him with awe-inspiring righteousness; first throttling his wedded wife by the neck, then smothering her with a quilt; and how he debated the crowd at Liuhe, finally cutting a bloody path out of the home of the man who had saved his life. Yuan Chonghuan described this entire saga of Huang Shi's legendary adventures as if he had witnessed them with his own eyes, and in the end he effusively praised Huang Shi's \"true and unvarnished character\"!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Huang Shi burst into loud laughter. After finishing the entire account, he could not help but sigh with emotion: \"It is truly a waste of talent that Yuan Chonghuan did not become a professional storyteller.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong naturally knew many of the inside stories between Huang Shi and Yuan Chonghuan, and he was well aware of Huang Shi's opinion of Yuan Chonghuan. Yuan Chonghuan's seemingly laudatory words concealed malicious intent. Though Huang Shi was laughing, there was not a trace of a smile on Zhao Manxiong's face. \"If the Liaodong Provincial Governor is truly as my lord describes, then he is utterly shameless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi's smile faded. He gave a cold snort through his nose. \"Merely a small display of his skills.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps Zhao Manxiong was very clever, but Huang Shi understood the personalities of historical figures far better than he did, so Huang Shi's view of Yuan Chonghuan as a person was far more penetrating. Though the course of history might differ, human nature would not undergo any great change. Huang Shi had once compared Yuan Chonghuan to Qin Gui. When Qin Gui killed Prince Yue at Fengbo Pavilion, the \"trumped-up\" charge he used, though shameless to the extreme, was still something he could not bring himself to do — he could not pin the label of \"staunch advocate of peace negotiations\" on Prince Yue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the \"national hero\" Yuan Chonghuan, whom the slave chieftain Hongli erected for the Han people, was far too formidable. Not only did he toady to the eunuch faction himself, he could even brazenly pin his own disgraceful deeds on Mao Wenlong — a man renowned for his spotless integrity — and insist that Mao Wenlong had, unbeknownst to all under heaven (except Yuan Chonghuan himself), acknowledged Wei Zhongxian as his godfather, and further claimed that Mao Wenlong must have, on some unknown desolate island and hidden from the eyes and ears of all under heaven (except Yuan Chonghuan himself), erected a statue in Wei Zhongxian's honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Huang Shi felt that when it came to the phrase \"utterly devoid of shame and conscience,\" even Prime Minister Qin himself would have to bow in defeat before Viceroy Yuan. Thus, on the two occasions when he had gone to audience with the Tianqi Emperor and seen Yuan Chonghuan's memorials spouting brazen falsehoods, Huang Shi's reaction afterward was not \"How could this be?\" but rather \"Just as expected.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi reined in the mocking expression on his face. He tapped the table thoughtfully and laid out his thoughts for Zhao Manxiong: \"These tactics of Yuan Chonghuan's will not deal me a fatal blow, because just as I have no evidence to prove I did not kill my elder brother, Yuan Chonghuan and the censor also have no evidence to prove that I did. My own denial is far more powerful than the Jianzhou slaves' rumors. But the crux of the matter does not lie here — it lies in His Majesty's perception.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Son of Heaven of the Great Ming was a kind-hearted young man, trusting toward those around him, and he had not yet had many opportunities to witness the treachery of the human heart. The Tianqi Emperor treated his foster mother Li Xuanshi, his wet nurse Lady Ke, his teacher Sun Chengzong, his old servant Wei Zhongxian, and his younger brother Prince Xin all very well, and so he naturally assumed that everyone else should be the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Tianqi Emperor was not a man of strong personal convictions. As these rumors continued to spread, the Tianqi Emperor would certainly be influenced to some degree — this is precisely what is meant by \"three men make a tiger.\" Huang Shi still held to that old saying: if the man sitting on that throne were someone like Zhu Hongwu, then he, Huang Shi, would not be worried at all that such talk could harm him, because Zhu Hongwu would not care in the slightest about Huang Shi's personal virtue. As long as Huang Shi could win battles and be controlled by the emperor, there would be no problem whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Tianqi Emperor was not that kind of cold-blooded pragmatist. With his kind and generous heart, he would certainly develop an aversion to these acts of Huang Shi's. Huang Shi further harbored a deep suspicion: a simple, honest child like the Tianqi Emperor was very prone to letting his personal emotions influence his decisions, leading to unwise judgments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The key now is His Majesty. As long as His Majesty believes I did it... no, as long as His Majesty even suspects I might have done it, then His Majesty's trust in me will be greatly discounted.\" As Huang Shi spoke, he spread his hands, a helpless expression appearing on his face. Huang Shi was not a civil official; he could not possibly gain the support of all the civil officials under heaven. Nor did Huang Shi intend to curry favor with Wei Zhongxian. Therefore, the Tianqi Emperor's personal goodwill was Huang Shi's greatest reliance for suppressing Yuan Chonghuan's arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yuan Chonghuan has indeed grasped this very accurately. My lord's advantage lies in his standing in His Majesty's mind. That is why, during the Liaoxi campaign, His Majesty supported my lord in not being subject to civil official oversight, and why the court did not pursue the matter when my lord removed the stores from Juehua... Mm, at present, Dongjiang Town has no civil official serving as Army Supervisor, and the Grand Secretariat is unwilling to allocate military pay and provisions. If my lord wishes to march his army into central Liao, he can still only count on His Majesty's support.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Allow me to go back and think further.\" Zhao Manxiong paused, then added: \"However, I feel that the Liaodong Provincial Governor's scheme has no major flaws. I dare not say I can certainly devise a countermeasure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I also feel there are no flaws. Go think on it first. If you cannot come up with anything, I will not blame you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As ordered.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fourteenth day of the seventh month of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign. \"The Jianzhou slaves have sent a secret envoy?\" As Huang Shi asked the question, his eyebrows could not help but arch upward, his tone carrying both surprise and disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" At this moment, only Hong Antong and Huang Shi were in the room. \"How to handle the visitor, I await my lord's instructions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This secret envoy had crossed mountains and ridges the whole way, traveling only by small paths, and had brought his own dry rations and drinking water, bypassing Fuzhou entirely before finally revealing his identity to a fire-rescue camp patrol at Beixinkou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impressive.\" After hearing of the man's perilous journey, Huang Shi could not help but voice a word of praise, though his tone then took on a note of reproach: \"From Fuzhou to Gaizhou, I recall there are patrols everywhere, and the reconnaissance along this entire route is the responsibility of the Changsheng Island Military Intelligence Division. How could Jianzhou slaves have made it all the way to Beixinkou?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There must have been a spy guiding the way. If my lord permits, your subordinate can certainly pry open this man's mouth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to rush that. First, bring him to see me.\" Huang Shi planned to first go ask Zhao Manxiong whether his \"werewolf\" organization had any knowledge of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As ordered.\" — The following does not count toward the word count. This humble work is an alternate-history fiction, not a fantasy novel. The author has seen some claim that the first two sections of this book wildly tamper with history. If such is truly the case, I hope the honorable gentlemen who level this accusation can provide detailed and solid evidence, so that the author may properly amend the flaws in this book. Many thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to space constraints, the author will briefly explain the arguments of the first two sections later on. If there are issues, please do me the honor of pointing them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Chonghuan's request to establish a living shrine, and Mao Wenlong's memorial pleading the injustice done to Zuo Guangdou and others — these both come from the Veritable Records of the Tianqi Emperor. Whence comes the claim that the author has tampered with them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, besides Mao Wenlong crying out against injustice for the Donglin Party, the Donglin leader Qian Qianyi also composed a poem in praise of Mao Wenlong, which goes: At the head of the Yalujiang, war banners are raised. Through countless hardships and a hundred battles, the army's might is strengthened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the blue sky, he pledges his lone loyalty. With bare hands, he personally captures the rebel general and returns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the quiet of night, beacon fires rise, linking Deer Island. Under the bright moon, arrows are passed across Tuofan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The multitudes who feast on meat are all subjects and ministers. At the edge of the world, I watch you lie in iron armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whence comes the claim that Mao Wenlong was of the Eunuch Party?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Local civil and military officials vied to establish living shrines for Wei Zhongxian and acknowledge him as godfather — the names of this multitude are all recorded in the Veritable Records of the Tianqi Emperor. Mao Wenlong was not among them. Whence comes the claim that the author has tampered with history?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Great Ming's court full of censors and remonstrance officials, how could the matter of acknowledging Wei Zhongxian as godfather possibly escape impeachment? How could it be that no one in the entire realm knew of it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The claim that Mao Wenlong erected a statue and crown for Wei Zhongxian on some nameless, desolate island — apart from Yuan Chonghuan's own self-serving words, from what other source does this derive? And Yuan Chonghuan did not even give the name of this island. Among the hundreds and thousands of islands in Liaodong, where is one to go searching for this statue?\u003C\u002Fp>",3881,"2026-06-04T07:54:54.057Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","f78741c4ee4a0bbeeff5947cb4f87ebdc4a07e50e38d8102242f3c17f4fb074b","stealing-ming-chapter-273","stealing-ming-chapter-271",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]