[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-277":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},1220894,1614,"Chapter 277: Section 34: Amnesty","stealing-ming-chapter-277",277,"\u003Cp>Huang Taiji shot bolt upright from his seat, too stunned to speak. He strained his eyes wide, trying to see if he had made a mistake, but the visitor’s tall stature left no room for error.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The visitor had already removed his helmet and held it in his arms. Smiling at Huang Taiji, he said, “Fourth Beile, do you not intend to invite me to sit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji studied the Ming envoy for another two glances, quickly suppressed his look of shock, and his face recovered its usual composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please, sit.” Huang Taiji extended his arm forcefully toward a chair, then in a full, resonant voice ordered, “Serve tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the visitor was seated, Huang Taiji slowly settled back into his own chair and gave a long sigh. “Commander Huang is truly bold. Today you honor Liaoyang with your presence — may I ask what guidance you bring?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In recent days, the Fourth Beile located my first wife and elder brother for me, and has also looked after my betrothed and a pair of concubines. I have come to Liaoyang this time expressly to thank the Fourth Beile.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji let out a few hearty laughs and waved everyone else out of the tent. As the attendants withdrew, Huang Shi’s gaze also drifted toward the entrance; out of the corner of his eye he noticed Huang Taiji seemed to dart a quick glance at his own sword. But it was only a glance — when Huang Shi turned his eyes back, Huang Taiji had already resumed his usual unruffled demeanor, hands resting idly on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Huang Shi’s attention return, Huang Taiji lightly cupped his hands in a gesture of apology. “In that earlier matter I truly had no choice. But a great man matches wits, not brute force. Commander Huang will surely understand my predicament.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fourth Beile, let me speak plainly.” Since the attendants had all withdrawn, Huang Shi adopted an unguarded manner. “Last time the Fourth Beile sent an envoy to bring me word that the Jianzhou Guard was willing to accept amnesty. Exchanging messages back and forth takes far too long, and I feared that relying solely on envoys might lead to misunderstandings. So this time I have come in person, wishing to discuss the matter in detail with the Fourth Beile.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm. Commander Huang speaks truly. For a long time, Jianzhou has been willing to humbly entreat the court for amnesty. However…” Huang Taiji drew out his final syllable, his tone taking on a slight edge of severity, “I have heard that Commander Huang bound my envoy and sent him to Beijing — is there any truth to this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the time I did not know whether the Jianzhou Guard commanders and the various Beile truly had the sincerity to accept amnesty, so I sent the envoy to the capital for questioning.” Huang Shi took a leisurely sip of tea, as though he saw nothing at all improper in what he had done. “I am now convinced of the Fourth Beile’s sincerity, which is why I have come alone, on a single horse, to discuss the matter of amnesty face to face with the Fourth Beile. Can the Fourth Beile still be dissatisfied?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji stared at Huang Shi, studying him again and again. Over five years had flashed by in an instant, yet this man before him only grew more inscrutable. Huang Taiji remembered clearly that this Huang Shi was a man utterly devoid of integrity, who would not even blink before betraying others to save his own skin — yet in the blink of an eye he had cast aside the wealth and rank within his grasp and returned to the Great Ming’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji had also tried to guess at Huang Shi’s psychology from another angle — perhaps Huang Shi did not rate the Later Jin’s prospects highly and thought that betraying the Later Jin and throwing in his lot with the Great Ming was the better long-term play. But that still could not explain why Huang Shi sought out Mao Wenlong. No matter how you looked at it, staying in Liaoxi offered far better prospects; as soon as Huang Shi reached Shanhai Pass, he could trade military merits for piles of silver and high rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marching a thousand li from Liaoxi all the way to Lüshun, and everything Huang Shi had done since — to Huang Taiji it all looked like the conduct of a hero. A commander with no real military experience or talent, struggling for survival in Liaodong was practically a nine-in-ten chance of death. Huang Taiji could not know that Huang Shi was relying on knowledge of military history; though he acknowledged that Huang Shi’s army was formidable, he still felt that Huang Shi’s actions back then had been brave to the point of naivety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then again, this brave “loyal minister” had an entirely fabricated background. Huang Taiji knew with absolute certainty that Huang Shi was no native of Liaodong. He was already a Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent of the Great Ming; unless his ancestors had committed the crime of rebellion, any stain would have been smoothed over long ago — yet Huang Shi insisted on lying about this trivial matter. That only made his origins all the more suspicious. And what was most infuriating was that Huang Taiji found he had no way to expose the lie. As the perpetrators of the Kaiyuan massacre, even if they spoke the truth, no one would ever believe them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Huang Taiji stared at him, Huang Shi maintained a thoroughly unconcerned expression. As a thoroughgoing realist, what Huang Shi excelled at most was setting aside emotion to look at problems. A weak regime desperate to break a strategic encirclement would never dare kill a negotiating envoy. Huang Shi was certain that Huang Taiji was also a man not easily swayed by emotion, so he felt his own life was not in serious danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Huang Shi still remembered the difference between the battle of Fuzhou and the pursuit battle at Lianshan. At Fuzhou, Huang Taiji had been willing to lose several thousand men to prevent the Changsheng Army from returning to the city, and had even seemed prepared to fight a desperate night battle; but when facing off against Huang Shi at Lianshan, Huang Taiji had seemed unwilling to risk a charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging from his past dealings with Huang Taiji, Huang Shi was convinced that his opponent did not particularly value his single life, but deeply feared the Changsheng Army that stood behind him. In a sense, Huang Taiji was not wrong: all of Huang Shi’s power came from the Changsheng Army; his personal military ability was hardly worth mentioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Destroying Huang Shi would at most vent Huang Taiji’s spleen, but as long as the Changsheng Army remained, even hacking Huang Shi to pieces would not lift the threat to Liaonan. Judging by Huang Shi’s performance at the battle of Fuzhou, Huang Taiji believed that if the Changsheng Army were in the hands of Mao Wenlong, Chen Jisheng, or any other Dongjiang general, it would likely become even more terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing his tea, Huang Shi bluntly asked for a refill, saying the journey to Liaoyang had been arduous and he was very thirsty. Huang Taiji calmly ordered someone to bring Huang Shi a pot of tea, along with a plate of fruit. Huang Shi, without the slightest pretense of politeness, grabbed a pear and began eating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander Huang, I do not wish to beat around the bush with you.” Huang Taiji finally admitted that he could not fathom what Huang Shi was pondering. With a rueful smile of surrender, he said, “Commander Huang has always been a staunch advocate of war, vowing never to rest until our Jianzhou is exterminated. If you want me to believe you now, Commander Huang, you had best tell me what scheme you are hatching.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi placed the pear core back on the plate, picked up the towel beside the plate, and wiped his mouth. “Fourth Beile, your rumors have been very effective. I am about to be transferred away. Once this matter of my betrothed comes to light, I will certainly be sent to the capital to idle in a sinecure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander Huang flatters me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By my reckoning, the Fourth Beile and the Provincial Governor of Liaodong have been singing in perfect harmony. The aim is nothing more than to drive me, a war hawk, out of the way, so that the two of you can then begin peace talks. The benefits are considerable: the Fourth Beile can henceforth live without fear, while the Provincial Governor of Liaodong monopolizes the grand achievement of recovering all of Liaodong. Tsk, tsk — what the state could not accomplish in ten years and at a cost of tens of millions of taels, he will accomplish with a few words and a smile. Truly remarkable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Huang Taiji merely smiled without speaking, Huang Shi cleared his throat and said loudly, “Fourth Beile, rather than hand this merit to the Provincial Governor of Liaodong, you might as well give it to me. We are, after all, old acquaintances of many years. And I can beat my chest and declare: my words carry far more weight in the Great Ming court than the Provincial Governor of Liaodong’s. If I were the one to recommend amnesty, even His Majesty would ponder it carefully. Fourth Beile, do you believe me or not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji pondered for a moment. What Huang Shi was trying to tell him was this: whether he advocated war or peace, his goal was always his own wealth and career. Previously, Huang Shi had believed he had the confidence to exterminate the Later Jin, so he staunchly advocated war — because those were rare military merits. But now that Huang Shi saw himself being sidelined, he was rushing to advocate peace, absolutely unwilling to let Yuan Chonghuan walk off with the advantage for nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This line of thinking did coincide with Huang Taiji’s own assessment of Huang Shi. He was utterly convinced that Huang Shi was not a native of Liaodong and bore no deep blood feud with the Later Jin. Huang Shi had come looking for a fight entirely of his own accord — saying he did it for wealth and rank was not entirely implausible. Huang Taiji nodded, feigning belief. “Commander Huang’s word is naturally as weighty as nine sacred tripods — I have no reason to doubt it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, then I shall begin.” Huang Shi smiled and clapped his hands. This era had no nation-states, much less the rise of nationalism; the spiritual pillar of loyal ministers was entirely “loyalty to sovereign and love of country.” And Huang Shi did not possess much of that sentiment. Huang Shi himself knew this, and he understood that Huang Taiji across from him knew it perfectly well too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the war in Liaodong, I believe your army has already been defeated. What remains is merely a matter of time — the question of whether your destruction comes sooner or later, nothing more. I wonder if the Fourth Beile agrees?” After speaking these reckless words, Huang Shi fixed his eyes intently on Huang Taiji’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji’s expression did not change greatly, but he let out a couple of dry, mirthless laughs. “Commander Huang is truly bold — to come alone to Liaoyang and yet speak with such insolence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi likewise laughed. “The army is the general’s courage. With five thousand elite troops on Changsheng Island under my command, my courage is naturally just a little bit greater.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure of five thousand was a far cry from what Huang Taiji’s intelligence indicated. After the battle of Juehua, Huang Taiji had quickly discovered that the fighting strength of the Xuanfeng Camp was no less than that of the Jiuhuo Camp, and the latest figures he had received showed that Huang Shi had just expanded his forces to around ten thousand men. But this was no time to boost the other’s morale and undercut his own. Huang Taiji said coldly, “Du Song and others of the Ming each had several thousand elite troops as well, yet in the end they were all swept clean by my Great Jin. Commander Huang’s pride and self-satisfaction may ill befit the bearing of a great general.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since victory and defeat are still uncertain, the Fourth Beile may as well have me dragged out and beheaded. Then your entire army will know there is no way back, morale will surely soar, and you can use my heart and liver to sacrifice to the thousands upon thousands of your fallen soldiers — killing two birds with one stone. Why would the Fourth Beile not delight in doing so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the hope of peace talks was slim at present, the Great Ming’s Provincial Governor of Liaodong had been actively working toward them, and the Great Ming’s annual military expenditure for Liaodong reached several million taels. If the entanglement dragged on, someone’s resolve would eventually waver — even the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming might not be unwilling to spend money to buy peace. But as Huang Shi had said, if Huang Taiji executed him, the Ming court would be furious, and all hope of peace talks would be severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing Huang Shi would be doing the Great Ming the favor of sealing everyone’s lips, making it impossible for anyone harboring thoughts of peace to ever voice them again. His own side’s morale might indeed soar because there was absolutely no way back — but the Han troops might not follow suit, and those Mongols sitting on the fence would be even less likely to come over and submit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, Huang Taiji also knew that Huang Shi held the deep loyalty of the Changsheng Army. Every engagement with the Changsheng Army, and all intelligence coming from Changsheng Island, confirmed that the hundred thousand soldiers and civilians of Liaonan regarded Huang Shi as a second parent. If such a man died at his hands, Huang Taiji did not need to think long to know what kind of fury he would face. It was just as Mang Gūltai had said when they captured the Zhao sisters: unless one had overwhelming superiority on the battlefield, it was best not to push things to the absolute limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“War is a perilous affair; there is no such thing as a guaranteed victory in this world. We have indeed fallen to a disadvantage for the moment, but Commander Huang can by no means claim certain victory. Otherwise, why would Commander Huang risk coming to Liaoyang, insisting on offering us amnesty?” Huang Taiji had racked his brains for a long while, and in the end decided to gloss over this point and stop discussing the larger strategic situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his surprise, Huang Shi remained relentless. He burst into loud laughter at these words, which grated on Huang Taiji’s nerves more than anything could — only he would not show a trace of indignation to give his opponent satisfaction, nor would he obligingly play along and ask, “Why does Commander Huang laugh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Huang Shi was not entirely mocking Huang Taiji for putting on a brave front. His laughter was mainly because he had heard Huang Taiji utter the words “war is a perilous affair.” Hearing such words come from this man’s mouth struck Huang Shi as utterly ridiculous. After laughing for a while, Huang Shi stopped himself and spoke again to Huang Taiji:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fourth Beile, my original inclination was not particularly in favor of amnesty, though it would still take another five or —”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Huang Shi said matched what Huang Taiji had been thinking. Aside from this reason, Huang Taiji truly could not imagine what else Huang Shi could be coming to Liaoyang for. First he had driven the Sun family’s young lady to her death, then he had abandoned the Zhao sisters on the battlefield — if anyone claimed Huang Shi would risk his life for a woman, Huang Taiji would be the first to disbelieve it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trouble Huang Shi faced now was simply being transferred away from Liaodong. Huang Taiji thought it was plausible that this man had come to Liaoyang for the sake of his own career. He knew Huang Shi had always been audacious to the extreme — never mind his days as a spy in Liaoyang; over these five years he had repeatedly drawn his blade and led charges at the front line. Even a man born without courage would have had his nerves steeled by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What terms of amnesty does Commander Huang intend to offer us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi drew from his bosom a document prepared in advance, rose, and presented it to Huang Taiji, who also stood and received it with both hands. Huang Shi strolled back to his seat, sat down, and began eating jujubes. These jujubes were large, sweet, plump, and juicy. With his mouth stuffed full of jujubes, Huang Shi watched as Huang Taiji opened the document and began to read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Abandon the queue and keep the hair, change clothing and alter surnames, send sons as hostages, withdraw beyond the border wall, release Han civilians, surrender weapons…” Huang Taiji read a few lines and sighed. As he raised his head, he slowly closed the document. “Commander Huang, these terms are not amnesty — they are demanding our surrender.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These are the terms that must be used. Otherwise, after ten years of fighting, after plundering so much gold, silver, women, and children — if the Great Ming still gave you generous terms, would that not be encouraging the Mongol tribes to attack our Great Ming?” Huang Shi explained to Huang Taiji. “Besides, there are many men of insight in the court. If I set lenient terms for you, the moment they were brought out I would be denounced, and they would never be approved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji remained silent, lowered his head, and reopened the closed document, studying it carefully once more. The latter sections contained a host of detailed clauses with strict deadlines for fulfillment. After a long while, Huang Taiji finally raised his head again. “Commander Huang, these terms are far too harsh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only one who can fight can make peace — wouldn’t the Fourth Beile agree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Huang Shi’s words left his mouth, a cold laugh came from across the table. Huang Taiji leaned back heavily against his chair and shoved the document on the table forward with both hands. “Right now, with a single order, I could have you, Commander Huang, hacked into mincemeat. The Ming might send some incompetent to Liaonan, and I could smash the Changsheng Army to total ruin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That is a possibility, I admit.” Huang Shi mumbled his assent, even nodding in agreement. Once he had spat out all the jujube pits and swallowed the jujube flesh, he cleared his throat and said clearly, “But, Fourth Beile, the Great Ming might also send a competent, by-the-book general. Commander Mao might also take this army under his personal command. I think that within five years, your army would most likely be reduced to dust.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji gave another cold laugh. “Even if that were so, I would still die five years later than Commander Huang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Fourth Beile sees clearly. If the Liaodong affair could be settled in a single year, who would still be willing to offer your army amnesty? It is precisely because the Liaodong affair may drag on for another five or six years, at three million taels of Liaodong military tax each year, that your army has any room to be granted amnesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji reached out, snatched up the document, held it up, and scanned it once more. “Then what will Commander Huang do? What is written here are all terms concerning us; of your side, Commander Huang, not a single word is mentioned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can only do my utmost to restrain my subordinates and hope they will not seek vengeance against the Fourth Beile. But the Fourth Beile may rest assured — I am the hereditary Regional Military Commissioner of Liaodong. The Fourth Beile and my descendants will be neighbors for a long time to come. As the saying goes, a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. I will certainly not be the first to stir up trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>",3412,"2026-06-04T07:54:54.057Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","4583e01f66cd1a2d9d6b2acec4262cee446629cd6d61b8120ae4b4fdf67c66bf","stealing-ming-chapter-278","stealing-ming-chapter-276",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]