Chapter 284: A Heavy Responsibility

On the twelfth day of the ninth month of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, Changsheng Island.

Recently, the cannon-casting level on Changsheng Island had improved further. The final design for the cast-iron six-pounder had been confirmed, and the first mass-production cast-iron six-pounder had already been produced. This cast-iron cannon had been tested, and the results were very good. Moreover, if most of the parts were replaced with iron ones, the overall weight of the gun carriage would also be greatly reduced. It seemed the three-pounder could already retire from the stage of history.

The application of hydraulic machine tools and metallurgical furnaces had greatly increased Changsheng Island's production capacity. At present, the Military Works Department could cast one six-pounder every three days. In theory, it could produce over a hundred cannons a year. Unfortunately, Huang Shi simply did not have enough troops to use such formidable firepower — not even with the addition of Japan's Zhangzhou Domain — so most of the production capacity would certainly have to sit idle.

One experimental sample each of the nine-pounder cast-iron cannon and the twelve-pounder cast-iron cannon had also been cast. After watching the firing demonstrations, Huang Shi's impression of these two types of artillery was passable, but with the gun carriage added, both types were still somewhat too heavy and would have difficulty keeping up with a marching column.

Especially the twelve-pounder cast-iron cannon — Huang Shi felt there was really no need to use this kind of gun in land warfare. Yet if it were used as a siege weapon, the twelve-pounder's power seemed slightly too small. Generally speaking, rather than producing such a mediocre weapon for siege purposes, it would be better to simply cast eighteen-pounder or even twenty-four-pounder guns to use. Since they couldn't keep up with normal marching anyway, one might as well just go for sheer power.

Although the nine-pounder and twelve-pounder guns would not be issued to the troops for the time being, these achievements still made Huang Shi very happy. Over the past few years, Changsheng Island had finally trained a group of professional cannon-casting technicians. For all these years, Huang Shi had consistently encouraged the Military Works Department to carry out meticulous internal division of labor, and now the technicians in each department were becoming more and more specialized.

The cannon-casting regulations on Changsheng Island were also growing more refined day by day. Coupled with the improvement in tool-making standards, the cannon-casting capability of the Changsheng Island Military Works Department had become very impressive. When Deng Ken first arrived on Changsheng Island several years ago, he already had the ability to cast cannons independently. Most of the cannon-casting technicians on Changsheng Island still did not possess such a comprehensive level of skill, but in their respective areas of responsibility, their technical proficiency was something Deng Ken could not remotely match.

Since the technology for the cast-iron six-pounder was already mature, the old-style artillery pieces were of no further use. Huang Shi therefore sold them all to Morizumi Nobuyoshi of Zhangzhou. According to news coming from Japan, relations between Zhangzhou and the shogunate had worsened further; the two sides were already at daggers drawn, and the shogunate's "Edict to Punish Zhangzhou" could be issued at any moment.

Previously, the shogunate had stipulated that the lords of each domain must travel to Edo every two years and reside there for several months, or even a year. But this year, the lord of the Zhangzhou Domain would not dare go to Edo no matter what. At present, Zhangzhou had already constructed three new-style fortifications in the border regions and equipped them with quite a few cannons. Even if these fortifications were defended by Zhangzhou's old-style army, they would still be extremely formidable, because the Tokugawa shogunate's army had no cannons at all.

The twelve hundred Japanese ronin that Morizumi Nobuyoshi had sent over in batches had recently completed basic soldier training. Huang Shi dispatched an officer and NCO corps numbering as many as two hundred men to return to Japan with them to take command, in preparation for the defense of Zhangzhou. This army, trained according to the Changsheng Island regulations, was also divided into three infantry units and one artillery unit following the Changsheng Island model, and it received several three-pounder guns that Changsheng Island had just phased out.

Besides the three-pounder guns, Morizumi Nobuyoshi also paid to purchase helmets for every soldier (including the two hundred Ming army volunteers Huang Shi sent), as well as seven hundred long spears and five hundred Changsheng Island firelocks.

Both Liu Qingyang and Heidao Kazuo held an optimistic view of the war that was very likely to break out. They both believed that the Tokugawa shogunate's army was nothing more than a feudal army, not much stronger than the Ming army's hereditary military households.

When Huang Shi asked Liu Qingyang for his impression of the Japanese shogunate army, Liu Qingyang's face immediately showed an expression of disdain: "The army of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate is an army lacking in fighting will. Most of its officers and soldiers are hastily assembled into units just before battle. Apart from the samurai, who make up only a very small portion of the army, most of the soldiers are normally peasants. I do not believe such an army can endure bitter combat."

Besides the reports from Liu Qingyang and Heidao Kazuo, Huang Shi also had other channels for obtaining intelligence on Japan. For instance, the group of pastors from the "Loyal to the Sovereign and Patriotic Catholic Church" whom Huang Shi had sent to Zhangzhou had also been continuously sending large quantities of Japanese intelligence back to Changsheng Island. This intelligence of theirs included not only Japanese military intelligence but also information on products, geography, customs, and habits. These missionaries were like the sensitive antennae of Changsheng Island; through them, Huang Shi sensed the actual situation in Japan.

Now Huang Shi had in his hands an intelligence booklet that had been collated by the Internal Guard. As he leafed through the records on it, he cross-checked them with Liu Qingyang: "Brother Liu, it seems the Tokugawa shogunate's army is also very lacking in combat experience."

"Yes, my lord, you are quite right. Japan has not fought a war for more than a generation. Apart from a few old men in the army, most people's combat experience comes from their brawling in taverns. The officers and soldiers have basically never seen a battlefield. Although those samurai are professional soldiers, the martial skills they practice are mostly things useful only in single combat. As far as I know, most of them have never undergone training in coordinated operations."

This assessment matched the intelligence Huang Shi had received very closely. Over the past few years, Liu Qingyang had spent more time living in Japan than in China. Since his views aligned with those of the pastors, Huang Shi was basically at ease about the war between the shogunate and Zhangzhou. If the Zhangzhou Domain were fighting on its home ground, it could itself urgently mobilize over ten thousand feudal troops with combat strength comparable to the shogunate army. Although the new-style army Changsheng Island had trained for it was small in number, it would certainly be able to play an important role.

Liu Qingyang's view was essentially the same as Huang Shi's, especially since the equipment of Zhangzhou's new army was also extremely fine, even above the average standard of Changsheng Island.

From the end of the seventh month this year, Zhongdao had already begun mass-producing breastplates. In the first ten days of the eighth month, production capacity reached one hundred sets; in the middle ten days it rose to one hundred twenty sets; and in the last ten days it produced one hundred eighty sets, for a total of four hundred sets in the entire month. Two days ago, when Bao Bowen reported on his work to Huang Shi, he told Huang Shi that breastplate output in the first ten days of the ninth month had already risen to two hundred sets, and this month it was expected that daily output could be raised to about twenty-five sets.

In the past, manufacturing a single suit of armor — even leather armor, which was the easiest to process — would take a skilled worker more than ten days. And iron armor, because it required long periods of forging, took an indefinitely long time. But now, relying on hydraulic rolling mills and forging machines, three or four skilled workers could manufacture a breastplate almost as easily as child's play. Only the carburizing process took a fair amount of time, but the shaping that used to be the most labor-intensive part took only a few minutes for the hydraulic forging machine.

In the Military Works Department work report for the first ten days of the ninth month, Bao Bowen predicted that under machine production, these breastplates would "sooner or later become as cheap as waste paper." Seven hundred sets of breastplates were expected to be produced in the ninth month. These future "waste paper" items were pre-sold by Huang Shi to Morizumi Nobuyoshi at a price of one hundred taels of silver per set, and they would be shipped to Japan the following month.

Therefore, if the Later Jin did not take the initiative to attack Changsheng Island, Huang Shi estimated that the Zhangzhou New Army would be equipped with breastplates even sooner than Changsheng Island. Since this type of armor could withstand attacks from steel blades, iron bows, and long spears, there was absolutely no reason it could not withstand bamboo bows, bird guns, and bamboo spears.

"The Japanese shogunate does not possess the ability that our Great Ming has to provide standardized equipment to its army. Not to mention those temporarily conscripted peasant soldiers — even the so-called samurai, their equipment is all purchased individually. Those with money wear better gear; the poor make do with worse."

Like all officers accustomed to the Changsheng Island model, Liu Qingyang now held the combat effectiveness of feudal armies in contempt: "The offensive capability of the Japanese shogunate army is highly questionable, and its defensive capability is not very reliable either. An attack on a city could probably only be accomplished through a long-term siege. It is far from being able to contend with the Zhangzhou Domain army we have trained, even with superior numbers."

"Hmm, Brother Liu's words have completely set my mind at ease." Even if the Tokugawa shogunate truly intended to attack Zhangzhou, its more likely approach would be to summon the feudal lords around Zhangzhou to besiege the Mori house, and this would give the Zhangzhou army the opportunity to defeat them one by one. Huang Shi believed that in this era, a well-equipped, well-trained modern army could certainly rely on interior-line operations to blast its neighbors — each harboring their own schemes — into smithereens.

After seeing Liu Qingyang off, Huang Shi leafed through the Changsheng Island Military Works Department report once more. Any clear-sighted person could see at a glance: there was no need to wait for Bao Bowen to build windmills on Zhongdao denser than a forest. As long as there was enough money, just the current production capacity would be sufficient to complete a re-equipment of Huang Shi's three personal battalions within a year.

"According to the Great Ming Code, private possession of armor is tantamount to plotting rebellion. Firelocks, though not strictly prohibited — security firms and private individuals can purchase them — given the enormous power of the Changsheng Island firelock, I expect the imperial court will not permit it to circulate on the market either... This is truly a headache. If I really do manufacture so many weapons, who else can I sell them to?"

In the blink of an eye, it was the seventeenth day of the ninth month. The imperial court dispatched an envoy to Changsheng Island. After the eunuch who had come to proclaim the imperial edict landed on the island, incense was hurriedly burned and an altar table set up on Changsheng Island. Huang Shi also hastily changed into his black gauze hat and black official boots, his python robe and jade belt, then lifted his official robes and personally escorted the envoy and his party into the main gate.

"I did not know the Imperial Envoy had arrived, and failed to come out to welcome you from afar. I beg the Imperial Envoy's forgiveness."

The eunuch delivering the edict did not even reply, but simply strode in through the main gate with his head held high, chin thrust upward, walking stiffly and directly toward the incense altar. On both sides, spears and halberds stood like a forest. Every officer and soldier on Changsheng Island had changed into bright, fresh uniforms and armor. Not one of them dared to breathe heavily; they merely gripped their spear shafts tightly and stared straight ahead without a sideways glance.

The envoy walked all the way to directly in front of the incense altar before stopping. With a sharp flick he swung his official robes around and turned to face forward, his face utterly wooden, devoid of any trace of emotion. Drawing out his voice, he called: "Huang Shi, receive the edict —"

Huang Shi swept aside his bright red official robe and knelt before the envoy in front of everyone, kowtowing: "Your subject is present."

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: ..."

Huang Shi listened with his head lowered below. Gradually, the more he listened, the more something seemed amiss. After the opening formalities were finished, expressions of astonishment also appeared on the faces of the Changsheng Island officers standing behind Huang Shi. Yet the envoy continued to read on. This imperial edict could truly be described as brimming with fervent emotion, for Tianqi placed great expectations on Huang Shi to take up the post of Provincial Military Commander of the four southwestern provinces and swiftly quell the She-An Rebellion.

"...Since We personally assumed the throne, We have clarified laws and mandated punishments, urgently seeking good governance... Huang Shi, with loyalty you serve your sovereign, with courage you repay the nation. On the day you are able to pacify and settle the southwest, how would We begrudge you the path to a marquisate? Thus decreed."

After the envoy finished reading the edict, he waited for Huang Shi to kowtow, but after waiting a while and seeing no movement, an expression of displeasure involuntarily appeared on the envoy's face.

According to protocol, the moment Huang Shi heard the word "decreed" at the end, he should have immediately prostrated himself and shouted "Long live the Emperor." But although this edict was a gracious one, once Huang Shi accepted it, it would be very difficult for him to further influence the development of Liaodong. Although the She-An Rebellion was also a great calamity, history had already proven that the Ming court's strength was fully sufficient to quell it. The Later Jin, however, was entirely different. Until the day Huang Shi saw the Later Jin regime breathe its last, he could not set his heart at ease.

But Huang Shi was not a civil official. As a military officer, if he refused to accept the edict, it would really be too hard to justify. Furthermore, this imperial edict that Tianqi had now issued to Huang Shi had gone through the entire process: the Emperor issuing a palace directive, the Grand Secretariat drafting the rescript and the edict, then the Emperor affixing the imperial seal, and the Senior Grand Secretary countersigning. Even a civil official would have absolutely no right to block or refute this edict.

Moreover, the Tianqi reign that Huang Shi now lived under could still be considered one of strict court discipline. He searched his memory for instances of Ming military officers acting willfully and arrogating authority to themselves — those were all events from the middle of the Chongzhen reign onward. If Huang Shi refused to accept the edict now, he would probably be condemned by everyone, and the bit of good reputation Huang Shi had painstakingly accumulated over the years would also be thrown away.

Huang Shi turned the matter over in his mind. If he absolutely would not accept this edict, the only path left would be to resign from office. But as a military officer, it was not easy for Huang Shi to resign, and he would never choose such a path anyway.

Unreconciled at heart, Huang Shi truly could not think of any passable excuse. In the end, he could only prostrate himself heavily: "Respectfully inquiring after His Majesty's well-being. Long live, long live, long live the Emperor."

"His Majesty is well."

Upon hearing this, Huang Shi straightened his body and knelt upright. After pausing for a second, he performed the grand kowtow and prostrated himself once more: "Respectfully thanking His Majesty for his heavenly grace. Long live, long live, long live the Emperor."

"The heavenly grace is boundless."

Once again repeating the motions of rising to his knees and kowtowing, Huang Shi bowed his head and responded to the edict: "Eternally obeying these instructive words. Our Emperor, long live, long live, long live the Emperor."

"Be diligent in your sincerity."

After shouting "Long live the Emperor" for the third time, Huang Shi had finally completed the entire process of receiving the edict. As he rose to his full height, the envoy who had proclaimed the edict also switched to a smiling face, stepped forward, and with both hands presented the imperial edict before Huang Shi, his mouth incessantly saying: "Congratulations, Marshal Huang, congratulations, Grand Marshal Huang."

Huang Shi drew a deep breath and took the imperial edict, which was heavier than Mount Tai. Just as he was about to tell his subordinates to fetch a gratuity for the envoy, he saw the envoy stiffen his face again, step back two paces, and call out loudly: "Wu Mu, receive the edict!"

The envoy, having received two gratuities, was invited into the central army tent of the old camp. Now that the imperial edict was no longer on his person, this eunuch's status immediately fell far below that of Huang Shi and Wu Mu. But naturally, Huang Shi and Wu Mu would not put on airs either. The two of them insisted that the envoy take the seat of honor. The envoy was merely a minor eunuch and naturally demurred coyly, not daring to take the seat. In the end, Huang Shi and Wu Mu, one on the left and one on the right, forcibly dragged the envoy beside the chair and pressed him down into it, as if sitting in this seat was not his right but rather his duty and obligation.

Although Huang Shi was continuously mulling over his own concerns in his mind, he dared not show the slightest hint of displeasure on his face. Today's imperial edict was truly a great act of grace, and it contained Tianqi's deep expectations. If Huang Shi were to say anything that spoiled the mood at this moment, once word spread to the capital, the civil officials would very likely pin the label "harboring resentment" on him, and even Tianqi might feel very disappointed in his heart.

Ever since his first audience with the Son of Heaven in Beijing, the Tianqi Emperor had always been Huang Shi's greatest patron. Now, no one at court, whether wise or foolish, would ever dare speak ill of Huang Shi in front of the Emperor. Huang Shi himself was well aware of this situation, so naturally he would not undermine his own position by openly defying an imperial edict.

"Just now, when you, Eunuch, were proclaiming the edict, I was truly overjoyed beyond measure. I felt as if my head just went 'boom' — everything went blank, and for a long while I knew nothing at all." Huang Shi held a wine cup in one hand to toast the envoy, while his other hand gestured around his own head, desperately trying to describe how excited and moved he had been at that moment.

The envoy's face was full of magnanimous understanding. Smiling, he said to Huang Shi: "Marshal Huang's loyalty to the sovereign and love of country is known to all. Your appointment as Provincial Military Commander of the four provinces is truly well-deserved. When I was proclaiming the edict, my heart was also rejoicing for Marshal Huang the whole time."

"A coarse and uncouth man like me actually forgot for a moment to respond to the edict, making a fool of myself before you, Eunuch." Huang Shi rubbed his head and gave an embarrassed laugh, his face full of sheepishness.

"Only human, only human." The envoy laughed a few times dismissively, then could not help showing off a little: "Marshal Huang may not know this, but in the past when I went to proclaim gracious edicts, there were even people who were so overjoyed they jumped up from the ground. Marshal Huang's conduct today was perfectly normal; there was nothing discourteous about it. You need not take it to heart at all."

"Eunuch is indeed widely experienced and knowledgeable. I am filled with admiration."

Unlike Huang Shi, who was forcing a cheerful expression, Wu Mu felt genuine happiness. Many years ago, having reached a dead end and with no other choice, he had been compelled to enter the palace. At that time, the Ming court had originally planned to recruit three hundred new eunuchs, but over two thousand people rushed to the Forbidden City to register. Wu Mu, who had not eaten for several days, cast aside all self-respect and pleaded desperately before the supervising eunuch, yet he was still nearly driven out.

To this day, Wu Mu still remembered the sudden change at that moment. A eunuch who looked like an important personage happened to come by on an inspection tour. Perhaps he was in a good mood at the time, or perhaps Wu Mu's appearance made him feel pity. That important person casually pointed a finger: "I think this one will do."

After that great personage finished speaking, he departed amid a flurry of attendants, and thus Wu Mu successfully entered the palace. As he walked into the deep palace with his small bundle on his back, along with three hundred other lucky ones, the leading steward eunuch deliberately patted Wu Mu on the shoulder and, with an expression both mysterious and envious, said to him: “You wretch have truly struck it lucky today. Do you know who it is that bestowed this status upon you?”

Wu Mu naturally had no idea. The steward eunuch jerked a thumb up, puffed out his chest, and loudly exclaimed with a click of the tongue: “That was Eunuch Wei! The foremost favorite of His Majesty and Lady Fengsheng.”

In Wei Zhongxian’s eyes, Wu Mu had originally been a character no more significant than an ant. Not to mention his reason for keeping Wu Mu — he forgot the whole matter completely in the blink of an eye. Although Wu Mu did not forget, after entering the palace he was merely an ordinary floor-sweeping eunuch, living a life in the Forbidden City at the mercy of others.

Two years passed in a flash. By the time Dongjiangzhen was established, Wu Mu was no longer the penniless wretch he had been before. This time he dug out all his savings and mobilized every personal favor accumulated over two years, finally managing to secure a post as Army Supervisor. On the eve of his departure from the capital, Wei Zhongxian gave a lecture to all the Army Supervisor eunuchs being dispatched to Dongjiangzhen. At the time, Wei Zhongxian clearly did not notice Wu Mu; his head remained arrogantly tilted upward the entire time, and he never once looked straight at these small fry.

Once again he dressed in traveling gear, shouldered the bundle he had packed with his own hands, and Wu Mu bid farewell to the Forbidden City. Together with two down-and-out minor Embroidered Uniform Guard officers, he collected travel expenses and waist tallies from the relevant office, then embarked on the vast journey. After finding an official ship to sea at Tianjin Guard, the three of them finally met someone in the know for the first time, and by questioning the sailors they clarified the general location of Zhangsheng Island.

After arriving at Zhangsheng Island, although life was very hard at first and they even had to chew alfalfa alongside the horses, for Wu Mu, who had endured hardship before, these were not too great a problem. Most crucially, on Zhangsheng Island he was no longer a tiny ant ordered about by everyone. Huang Shi and all the officers below him treated him with great respect, and most people flattered him like stars surrounding the moon, calling him “Envoy Wu,” which already made Wu Mu feel very content.

The days that followed went even more smoothly. The name Wu Mu was very quickly noticed by Eunuch Wei, and before long even His Majesty knew there was an Army Supervisor named Wu Mu on Zhangsheng Island. His Majesty had also personally said that Wu Mu handled his duties well. Back when he first arrived on Zhangsheng Island, Wu Mu would lie in bed every day pondering: how could he safely fabricate some battle achievements? But gradually he could no longer be bothered to ponder such things. The merits of Zhangsheng Island only needed to be reported truthfully: “The truth is already unbelievable, so why go to the trouble of lying?”

During the battle of Nanguan, Wu Mu smiled as he watched the shifting clouds, standing shoulder to shoulder with Huang Shi on the front line resisting the enemy… Alright, Wu Mu admitted that he still applied some artistic embellishment to the memorial.

As a result, after the memorial was submitted, an edict came down from the palace permitting Wu Mu to adopt a son to carry on his family line. This truly moved Wu Mu until his eyes brimmed with hot tears.

Now that Huang Shi had been promoted yet again, it looked like he, Wu Mu, would soon become famous throughout the realm as well. The path leading toward his predecessor, Prince Tong Guan, seemed increasingly smooth. By now Wu Mu had already recorded a thick volume on military strategy, and Huang Shi was on the verge of attaining the highest official rank. Wu Mu had long since made up his mind: in the future, minor border incidents would surely erupt from time to time. Such places probably would not require a great general like Huang Shi to take the field, and that would be the moment for him, Wu Mu, to volunteer his own services.

“Each day is better than the last,” Wu Mu murmured to himself, then burst into a peal of hearty laughter, calling out to the officers of Zhangsheng Island: “May every year and every season be just like today.”

The last time Eunuch Wei wrote to Wu Mu, he had even included Wu Mu’s official title in the letter. Now when palace envoys came to proclaim edicts, everyone would respectfully address him as “Envoy Wu.” Those eunuchs who had once been far above Wu Mu began to flatter him one after another, and even Eunuch Wei’s memory had recently improved. Not only did he remember that it was he who had recruited Wu Mu into the palace, but he also never forgot that it was precisely he, Wei Zhongxian, who had dispatched Wu Mu to Zhangsheng Island.

As Wu Mu tilted his head back and poured a full goblet of wine down his throat, his heart was brimming with confidence for the future: “The days ahead will surely get even better.”

……

After the welcome banquet ended, Huang Shi directed his subordinates to drag the dead-drunk envoy and Envoy Wu off to sleep. Today Envoy Wu had thoroughly stolen the show; for the last two hours or so of the feast he had been continuously displaying his skills for entertainment. Aside from singing opera and dancing, Envoy Wu also demonstrated for everyone the complete set of the “Wild Gale” saber technique.

According to Envoy Wu, this saber technique was a secret passed down to him by his master, never to be transmitted to outsiders, and it was entirely thanks to this technique that Wu Mu had been able to travel the martial world safely for so many years. Envoy Wu also said that he had originally made up his mind to pass this saber technique only to his daughters-in-law and not to his daughters, but since he was enjoying himself so thoroughly today, he generously opened his purse and shared it with everyone.

Although Envoy Wu had now adopted an heir, whether he would ever have a daughter was still up in the air. Yet even though the room was full of people, no one would be so tactless as to press Envoy Wu on the question: what kind of saber technique required passing it to daughters-in-law but not to daughters? On the contrary, Huang Shi and the others had been trying all along to drag Envoy Wu back to his seat to sit properly; it was only a pity that their repeated efforts met with failure. Right until he finally succumbed to sleep, Wu Mu firmly held onto the performance spot.

After casually giving a couple of orders, Huang Shi summoned his four old brothers among his subordinates to his study. When the guards closed the door behind them, the smile on Huang Shi’s icy face had completely vanished.

As soon as the door closed, He Dingyuan said impatiently: “My lord, this is clearly the work of petty men at court. They see that the Jianzhou slaves can be wiped out any day now, so they are rushing over impatiently to claim the credit.”

He Dingyuan’s words made the several men in the room nod repeatedly, but Jin Qiude’s expression appeared quite relaxed, and his tone sounded even more leisurely and self-satisfied: “However, this is not without benefit for you, my lord. This time, with you taking command of the military affairs of four provinces, you will surely be able to achieve extraordinary merit once again. A noble title and a marquisate are already within your grasp.”

Before Huang Shi had charged into Liaoyang, the most pessimistic estimate Jin Qiude and Zhao Manxiong had made was merely spending a few idle years in the capital, with the possibility of a comeback not ruled out. Now the situation was excellent on all fronts, and the reigning Son of Heaven was famously kind-hearted. Presumably, no one would dare stake their own career prospects on speaking ill of Huang Shi before the Emperor anymore.

As soon as Jin Qiude finished speaking, Yang Zhiyuan also nodded in agreement: “My lord, you see clearly. Just now your subordinate has roughly examined the dossiers sent by the Ministry of War. On paper alone, the existing military farms in Funingzhen amount to over three thousand qing, which is more than enough to repay Zhangsheng Island’s accumulated military merits measured in acres over the years. When Funingzhen was first established, it had the right to boil its own salt. After the twenty-seventh year of the Wanli reign, Funingzhen, following the precedent of other coastal military garrisons, was also permitted to set up its own checkpoints to collect maritime taxes to fund military expenses. Although this garrison has lain fallow for nearly ten years, as long as we manage it well, we can absolutely ensure our brothers are well fed and content.”

Ten years into the Wanli reign, the Earth entered the Little Ice Age. In the face of unending natural disasters, the national treasury reserves that Zhang Juzheng had accumulated for the Great Ming were rapidly exhausted. Although the southern military garrisons had no problem feeding themselves and did not require relief funds from the court, as the disasters persisted, the Wanli Emperor gradually felt he could no longer sustain the expenses of the Great Ming navy. He therefore permitted the coastal garrisons to collect a certain amount of maritime tax directly from the sea merchants, to serve as maintenance fees for the navy and expenses for suppressing pirates.

After this policy was implemented, the Great Ming navy entered a period of unstable development. Some garrisons were poorly managed, with high taxes but still rampant piracy, leading to a contraction of nearby maritime trade and further causing the rapid degradation of their affiliated naval forces. Conversely, well-managed garrisons quickly developed powerful maritime armed forces, thereby creating larger safe zones for sea trade and entering a virtuous cycle.

By the thirty-fifth year of the Wanli reign, the Great Ming navy had expelled the Dutch who were entrenched in the Penghu area. At that time, in order to further open up revenue sources for the inner treasury, the Wanli Emperor even formulated a plan to cross the sea and attack Manila. This was mainly because the Wanli Emperor had heard a rumor then widely circulating in China: that the Malacca region abounded in gold and silver.

After the thirty-sixth year of the Wanli reign, the Wanli Emperor even dispatched several batches of eunuchs to conduct on-the-spot investigations there, the sinister intent behind which needed no further inquiry. It was only after the facts brought back by those eunuchs shattered the rumors, and the Wanli Emperor confirmed that the tales of gold and silver mountains were pure fabrication, that he sheepishly abandoned his aggressive designs.

In any case, the coastal garrisons had already laid down a solid foundation of policy and material resources. By this time, several decades had passed since the Wanli Emperor had completely lifted the maritime ban. The Great Ming’s maritime trade industry was already highly developed, and both the military and civilians of the Great Ming had acquired considerable understanding of the sea. Thus Yang Zhiyuan and the others were full of confidence about managing Funingzhen well.

Huang Shi pondered for a moment, then decided to give these subordinates a frank briefing first: “Before we welcomed the Imperial Envoy, he also gave me the inside story. The court hopes I will proceed to the southwest as quickly as possible to take charge of the grand pacification campaign. If I can set out within two months, the court can accept a list of no more than five thousand retainers. In addition, they can agree to let me take no more than four battalions of troops with me. Their families can also relocate to Funingzhen. In summary, they want me to take ten thousand officers and soldiers from Liaonan, along with no more than sixty thousand able-bodied men from military households.”

This enormous mobilization figure immediately excited the several subordinates. The gloom on He Dingyuan’s face was swept away entirely. This meant the court had tacitly acknowledged that this group of people was Huang Shi’s private property. As long as this guarantee existed, no matter where they were transferred — even to the ends of the earth — this group following Huang Shi need not worry about their interests being harmed.

He Dingyuan and Yang Zhiyuan praised in unison: “His Majesty is wise and brilliant.”

However, Huang Shi’s face still showed no sign of joy.

“His Majesty is wise and brilliant,” Zhao Manxiong also chanted in praise, though his tone was not particularly loud, and he immediately followed up with: “The court is allowing us to draw away so many people — could it be that they intend to cut our pay and provisions?”

Zhao Manxiong’s words made the expressions of He Dingyuan and Yang Zhiyuan change again. Although Dongjiangzhen had never had much in the way of military pay to begin with — so far the fixed annual pay for the Left Associate of Dongjiangzhen was only forty thousand taels of silver — this was, after all, Dongjiangzhen’s home turf. Though conditions were harsh, they were always fighting for their native soil, so morale was naturally easier to maintain.

The imperial edict was transferring Huang Shi to the southwest to suppress the rebellion, which meant they would be genuine guest troops. Moreover, people in the Ming dynasty had always spread rumors that the southwest was full of miasmic vapors, fatal on contact. Such rumors were passed around with such vivid detail that northerners mostly regarded Yunnan and Guizhou as perilous lands; without double rations and pay, there could even be a risk of mutiny.

He Dingyuan and Yang Zhiyuan fixed their eyes on Huang Shi’s face, and saw him nod gently: “Brother Zhao is right. The Imperial Envoy said the court hopes Funingzhen can become self-sufficient as quickly as possible. After all, in the south, the various garrisons basically rely on their own output to support their soldiers. The court hopes to just provide some reward money for heads taken, and have us shoulder our own provisions and pay, so as not to add further burdens to the court. The court’s willingness to let us take so many soldiers, officers, and military households, and its urging us to leave as soon as possible, also stems from this consideration.”

Because the north had suffered crop failures year after year, the guard battalions of the Nine Frontier Garrisons had all deteriorated beyond repair. From Gansu to Liaodong, over a million frontier troops of the Ming dynasty lacked food and clothing, all needing the court to provide funds to support them. The Wanli Emperor was relatively adept at making money; by lifting the maritime ban and increasing commercial and industrial taxes, among other measures, he managed to endure several decades of disaster, while frequently launching wars and still leaving some inheritance for his descendants. But the Tianqi Emperor clearly lacked this ability. The court had been running deficits for five consecutive years, and the inner treasury was also unable to make ends meet, gradually nearing its bottom. Therefore, the court truly hoped Huang Shi could support himself and stop adding trouble to the central government.

“So our task is very heavy. The court hopes we can dispatch at least five thousand men to the southwest to suppress the rebellion, preferably within half a year, and at most no more than nine months. Before that, we must also restore production in Funingzhen to provide all the supplies, provisions, and pay for the expeditionary force.” After saying this, Huang Shi smiled and looked around at his trusted confidants in the room: “It seems the court not only expects me, Huang Mou, to be a general, but also a capable administrator!”

Jin Qiude’s eyes flickered, and he interjected coldly: “If you, my lord, cannot reach the southwest in time, or cannot quell the rebellion once there, then you can only hope that the court will speak on your behalf.”

Zhao Manxiong nodded in agreement: “Exactly so. The court already has its difficulties, so not giving you military pay is entirely understandable. Besides, the other garrisons in the south are already capable of bearing their own military expenses. Hmm… if you, my lord, truly cannot restore Funingzhen’s production on schedule, then you will have no choice but to seek help from the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission, Nanzhili, and the court. In that case, you would still need civil officials to speak on your behalf.”

“You are both correct. As the saying goes, the higher you are lifted, the harder you fall. Now, if I, Huang Mou, do not fall, all is well; but if I do, it will be no light matter.” Huang Shi laughed three times. This time, the gentlemen at court surely believed Huang Shi could not accomplish this task. In that case, Huang Shi would inevitably have great need of the civil officials, and could thus be firmly grasped in the palm of their hands.

“Now the state is unfortunate, with border troubles arising frequently. His Majesty relies on us military officers more and more heavily, and among us, our Dongjiangzhen is relied upon most of all. In the eyes of the gentlemen at court, our Dongjiangzhen is like that Monkey King pinned beneath the Five Fingers Mountain, about to leap out at any moment. Therefore, they absolutely must paste a sealing strip onto our heads, suppress us underneath, and grind down our temperament for five hundred years before we can be put to great use.”

As he spoke, Huang Shi let out several more hearty laughs. After the laughter faded, an expression of deep loathing reappeared on his face, and his several trusted confidants also remained silent.

“According to the ancestral institutions of our Great Ming, civil officials control the military…”

“What ancestral institutions? False ancestral institutions!” He Dingyuan had only murmured half of his sentence when Huang Shi rudely cut him off: “When our dynasty expelled the Tatar slaves and restored the Chinese heartland, it settled the realm through martial achievement. The official system was personally decreed by the Exalted Emperor, Grand Progenitor. The ancestral institutions placed civil and military on separate tracks; the Regional Commander and the Provincial Governor had no hierarchical relationship of command or subordination! Ever since the civil officials usurped military authority and shut down the Office of the Grand Commanders, the status of us military officers has declined day by day…”

“My lord!”

Hearing Huang Shi grow agitated, the several men in the room interrupted him in unison. Even He Dingyuan urgently said: “My lord, be careful with your words.”

“There are no outsiders here.” Huang Shi sighed deeply and raised a hand to stop his subordinates, who were about to remonstrate again: “I know. You are afraid that I will grow accustomed to speaking this way and inadvertently bring disaster upon myself when I am outside.”

Huang Shi’s fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk a few times. After another long sigh, the indignation that had been on his face moments before was replaced by soaring fighting spirit. He loudly declared to his trusted confidants: “Since ancient times, relying on oneself is better than relying on others. I will set out for Fujian this month, restore production in Funingzhen as quickly as possible, and simultaneously prepare to relocate the military households via the sea route…”

Once Huang Shi regained his usual commanding presence, his several subordinates could not help but sweep away their own despondency, each one straightening his back and standing ramrod straight.

According to the materials sent from the Ministry of War to Zhangsheng Island, once Huang Shi arrived in the southwest, one hundred and eighty thousand Ming troops from the four provinces of Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou would be under his command. As he spoke, Huang Shi pounded heavily on the desk with his right fist to emphasize his words: “…Within half a year, we must achieve self-sufficiency in supplies, and then dispatch troops to the southwest to quell the She-An Rebellion at the fastest possible speed.”

“As you command, my lord.” The men in the room responded in unison, each one brimming with confidence.