Chapter 289: Section Forty-Six: Sharing the Burden

On the twentieth day of the twelfth month of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, at Xiapu.

Huang Shi summoned all his senior military officers for a full staff conference. The troops under Huang Shi had extensive experience in land warfare, and Huang Shi himself was most confident in land operations. The Changsheng Island naval camp, however, had not fought a single battle in years, and although that Shi Ce had been a pirate on the Minhai coast, he had probably long since forgotten his old trade.

After discussion, everyone agreed that rapidly expanding the navy was an unrealistic problem. Moreover, the timber for building ships needed to be thoroughly air-dried, or it would warp the moment it touched water. For timbers like the keels of large warships, the shipwrights believed the safe air-drying time was as long as two to three years, followed by another one to two years to build the ship.

Such a long time truly made Huang Shi feel somewhat intolerable, but ships built after air-drying could sail for over fifty years, whereas without thorough air-drying they would generally only last five or six years, and timber that was too fresh might fall apart the moment it entered the water.

Huang Shi suspected that the fundamental principle here lay in whether the tree's cells were all dead. Perhaps a thoroughly air-dried tree had no living cells left and naturally would not warp in water, while wood with surviving living cells would either absorb water or dehydrate, causing the timber to warp. But this was only a hypothesis; he planned to find an opportunity to bake some wood and see if that could solve the time problem.

At present, Yang Zhiyuan was still in Japan and Liu Qingyang was still in Dengzhou. Among the senior officers who had already arrived in Funing, He Dingyuan and Li Yunrui firmly supported pacifying the southwest first; both men believed they could play a greater role on land. Zhao Manxiong, having not yet made up his mind, remained neutral for the time being. Bao Bowen, Hong Antong, and Zhang Zaidi all felt this was outside the scope of their duties and therefore had no opinion.

Although Fan Leyou leaned somewhat toward the navy, his voice did not carry enough weight to oppose He Dingyuan and Li Yunrui, nor was he as resolute as the latter two. As for Deng Ken, although he too had considerable say, he was inwardly conflicted. What Deng Ken loved most was nothing other than cannons. Building a navy would certainly produce more and larger cannons, but Deng Ken had no naval experience, and no matter how many cannons the navy had, they had nothing to do with him. In the end, Deng Ken also prudently kept silent.

"This Regional Commander has ultimately decided to prioritize sending troops to the southwest to suppress the rebellion. First, the imperial court has ordered this Regional Commander to punish the rebels She Chongming, An Bangyan, and the rest. The various Minhai pirates have always been the responsibility of the Southern Route Vice General, the venerable General Yu, to clear out. If this Regional Commander rashly intervenes, it will easily cause misunderstandings among colleagues and may also delay the time for sending troops to the southwest, inviting impeachment from the censors."

Huang Shi then lowered his voice slightly and said to his trusted confidants in the room, "Secondly, even if we are to strike at both, it must be the She-An Rebellion first and the Minhai pirates later. After all, She Chongming and An Bangyan command over a hundred thousand rebel troops. If we cannot suppress them promptly, the strength of the southwestern rebels will certainly grow day by day, and the trouble of dealing with them later may become even greater. As for the various Minhai pirates, they are still locked in internal strife; I doubt they will amount to much for the time being."

He Dingyuan and Li Yunrui naturally shouted their approval loudly. Although Jin Qiude still leaned toward the conservative route, seeing that Huang Shi's decision showed no sign of wavering, he no longer insisted: "Since the Grand Commander has given the order, this general will naturally obey strictly."

Huang Shi nodded with satisfaction. Jin Qiude's habit of voicing objections loudly but resolutely carrying out orders once given was very good: "Yes, first pacify the great trouble of the She-An Rebellion. After we return, if the Minhai matter is not yet settled, we can easily pacify these pirates as well. This will also take less time than trying to handle both at once. Should anything happen in Liaodong, we can also extricate ourselves from Jiangnan."

Jin Qiude said nothing, but a trace of disapproval inadvertently flickered across his face; clearly he thought Huang Shi was being unnecessarily anxious. Huang Shi did not try to convince Jin Qiude, merely adding with a smile, "We do not have much time to waste."

……

At the end of the twelfth month of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, in the capital.

Dongjiang Regional Commander Mao Wenlong sent two urgent reports to Beijing this month. He believed that the Later Jin had designs on a large-scale offensive in Liaodong, but Mao Wenlong judged that the Later Jin's target was Kuandian, not Korea, because he believed the Later Jin did not have enough time to achieve any significant results in Korea. While requesting reinforcements from the court, he ordered the mobilization of the Right Brigade of Dongjiangzhen.

After Mao Wenlong sent his dispatch to the Liaodong Regional Military Commission, Liaodong Grand Coordinator Wang Zhichen immediately ordered messengers to set out swiftly, commanding the various Mongol tribes to prepare to send troops into Liaodong to tie down the Later Jin field forces and coordinate with the Ming army's operations in the Kuandian area...

"Memorial of Liaodong Grand Coordinator Wang Zhichen: For years the slave chieftain has sought peace with the western barbarians, and the western barbarians have refused; he has submitted to Korea, and Korea has not accepted. Once peace is negotiated, they will surely become estranged — this is to strengthen the enemy and isolate ourselves! Recently, when an official passed through a place, a barbarian lashed his back and said: 'You Han people have no brains at all. All day long you only say we do not send troops to help, yet you carry loads of gold and silk, sending lamas to offer condolences and sue for peace on his behalf, while instead teaching others to make him their enemy. We might as well surrender too.' Given this, what words can I use to answer them?"

After receiving the successive urgent reports from Dongjiangzhen, the Tianqi Emperor once again convened a cabinet court session. He personally read aloud Wang Zhichen's memorial in full. In several recent memorials, the Liaodong Grand Coordinator had written with tears and blood, stating that the various Mongol tribes, whether openly or covertly, all refused to send troops to contain the Later Jin. The Bayan Mongols and other tribes had always been staunch allies of the Great Ming, but this time they too were disgruntled, feeling betrayed by the Great Ming.

When Lin Danhan was attacked in the sixth year of Tianqi, Mao Wenlong, upon learning of it, also cried out, "The safety and fate of Liaodong, victory or defeat, hangs on this single move!" and immediately mustered the full strength of Dongjiangzhen to attack Haizhou and Anshan fiercely, forcing Nurhaci to turn his army back. But this time even Lin Danhan politely declined Wang Zhichen's call to arms. Lin Danhan's reply letter was full of dissatisfaction, accusing the Great Ming of wanting to abandon him: after Chahar had come into conflict with the Later Jin for the sake of the Great Ming, the Great Ming now wanted to withdraw alone and leave Chahar to face the great enemy by itself.

Although the words of the various Mongol tribes differed, the central meaning was much the same: they had all come to help. If the Great Ming itself did not want to fight, then they were unwilling to make enemies for themselves. Wang Zhichen was deeply worried about this and submitted a memorial requesting the court to strictly forbid peace negotiations, lest it chill the hearts of the tributary vassals.

Wang Zhichen also believed that the Ming army in Kuandian would face a very severe situation. To reverse the situation, envoys must be sent to placate the various Mongol tribes, and at the same time troops must be dispatched to support Dongjiangzhen, in order to reinforce Kuandian in Liaodong, that bridgehead of the Ming army.

Tianqi recounted Wang Zhichen's views and then asked the cabinet, "What do you gentlemen have to say?"

"Your Majesty, the Liaodong Provincial Governor has also submitted a memorial on this matter."

Gu Bingqian, wagging his head, began to recite Yuan Chonghuan's memorial. The memorial was very long, but its central point was unmistakable: that Liaoxi, under his, Yuan Chonghuan's, management, was in a situation that was not just fairly good or generally good, but excellent, exceptionally good. Yuan Chonghuan swore to heaven and guaranteed the court that the Later Jin army would absolutely not dare to attack Korea, but would certainly come to attack Liaoxi.

Yuan Chonghuan analyzed for the Emperor: according to his judgment, the current strategic situation was nothing at all like what Mao Wenlong described. If the Later Jin army had truly mobilized, then the target was without a doubt Liaoxi, and Yuan Chonghuan even specified the locations: the three cities of Jinzhou, Youtun, and Ningyuan. Finally, Yuan Chonghuan went a step further and, with a spirit that could swallow mountains and rivers, guaranteed to Tianqi: "Your servant will divide the troops into three routes to set up defenses, and will surely ensure that the slaves come but do not return."

After finishing his analysis of the strategic situation, Yuan Chonghuan immediately exercised his highly developed political instincts, arguing that Wang Zhichen was jealous of his achievements. Yuan Chonghuan reminded the Emperor to heed the lesson of the discord between Grand Coordinator and Provincial Governor in the case of Xiong Tingbi and Wang Huazhen, and implored the Emperor to place full trust in him and to severely crack down on Wang Zhichen's attempts to frame a colleague.

Yuan Chonghuan's memorial was written with such vivid emotion that the cabinet almost unanimously sympathized with him. The cabinet had originally intended to advise Tianqi to support Yuan Chonghuan, but they found it unnecessary. After listening to the memorial, Tianqi gave the order: "Send kind words to reassure the Liaodong Provincial Governor. Tell him that We will not listen to slander. Hmm, also issue a reprimand to the Liaodong Regional Military Commission, ordering Wang Zhichen to attend to his duties wholeheartedly and not spend all day watching his own people. The cabinet shall draft the rescript."

"As commanded." After Gu Bingqian acknowledged the order, he waited a moment longer. But there was one matter on which the Emperor had not given an absolutely clear instruction, and Gu Bingqian would absolutely never risk making himself the villain. He asked further, "Your Majesty, how then should the Liaodong affairs be deployed?"

"Naturally, the Liaodong Provincial Governor shall take charge."

"As commanded." Gu Bingqian hastily agreed. This way, even if Wang Zhichen was dissatisfied, he could not lay the blame on Senior Grand Secretary Gu.

……

On New Year's Day of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, at Xiamen.

On the morning of New Year's Day, Huang Shi took his leave of Fujian Provincial Governor Zhu Yifeng, then departed Quanzhou and headed straight for Xiamen. By dusk that same day, Huang Shi was already before the gates of the Southern Route Vice Regional Commander's residence.

"Grand Commander, this New Year's gift you have prepared for the venerable General Yu, is it not a bit..." Hong Antong simply could not see the gift as appropriate no matter how he looked at it, and could not help voicing his objection again.

"Oh." In addition to other gifts, Huang Shi had personally carried a sack of pig trotters. Hearing Hong Antong's worried question, he smiled, raised the sack of pig trotters high in his hand to look at it, and laughed without turning his head: "It's fine, this will do very nicely."

Over the many years Yu Zigao had garrisoned Fujian, he had achieved no small amount of military merit, but he had no backing at court and no strong connections to rely on. This time, after Huang Shi came and took his position, Yu Zigao was naturally resentful and simply stayed in Xiamen and refused to leave. After Huang Shi arrived in Fujian, Yu Zigao also used the pretext of being too busy with military affairs to come pay a visit for the time being.

The first time Huang Shi went to Quanzhou to see Fujian Provincial Governor Zhu Yifeng, Provincial Governor Zhu had talked to Huang Shi for a long while, telling Huang Shi that he absolutely must not take issue with Yu Zigao and must understand the resentment in Yu Zigao's heart. Huang Shi expressed deep gratitude for Provincial Governor Zhu's concern and at the same time magnanimously declared that he would absolutely not quibble with an old gentleman of considerable age.

However, Hong Antong seemed to have a rather poor impression of Zhu Yifeng. After leaving, he secretly warned Huang Shi, "Provincial Governor Zhu seems very afraid that you, my lord, might not know that the venerable General Yu is unconvinced in his heart, afraid that the Grand Commander might not know that the venerable General Yu is deliberately refraining from coming to pay his respects. Hmm, this subordinate feels that Provincial Governor Zhu seems to harbor intentions of sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight."

"Exactly, I think so too," Huang Shi said cheerfully to his provost chief at the time, "That is precisely why I went along with him and said a few words about the venerable General Yu."

When taking his leave from Lord Zhu Yifeng today, Huang Shi had even made a point of explaining that after hearing Zhu Yifeng's previous advice, he had pondered it repeatedly and felt that Lord Zhu's words were particularly reasonable, that harmony among colleagues must be the priority, and so he was following Lord Zhu's instruction and taking the initiative to go pay a visit to Yu Zigao.

Only a moment after Huang Shi's visiting card was delivered, the central gate of the Vice Regional Commander's residence swung wide open. Southern Route Vice Regional Commander Yu Zigao strode out swiftly and saluted Huang Shi: "I did not know the Grand Commander Huang was coming; this general was remiss in not coming out to greet you. A grave offense, a grave offense."

"The venerable General Yu is too courteous; this junior does not dare accept such treatment." Huang Shi returned a bow of equal rank. When Yu Zigao invited him to enter through the gate, Huang Shi also demurred for a while, insisting on entering through the central gate side by side with Yu Zigao.

After entering the Vice Regional Commander's residence, Huang Shi saw that a large number of Xiamen military officers were already waiting for him in the central hall. As Huang Shi had roughly estimated, most of Xiamen's military officers today had come early to Yu Zigao's residence to offer New Year greetings. Huang Shi had long since made his calculations: on New Year's Day, no matter what, he had to rush to Xiamen to pay New Year respects to Yu Zigao. Of course, before coming to Yu Zigao's place, he definitely had to first go pay respects to Zhu Yifeng, so Huang Shi had set out in a great hurry the day before, without even properly celebrating the New Year.

After entering the central hall, Huang Shi, in front of all the Xiamen military officers, presented the sack of pig trotters to Yu Zigao with both hands: "Venerable General Yu, Happy New Year."

Yu Zigao, his face glowing with delight, accepted Huang Shi's pig trotters, and cheerfully carried the sack into the reception hall, handing it to a servant nearby. After all, Yu Zigao was now the Vice General of Funingzhen; in terms of rank, he was still Huang Shi's subordinate. If New Year respects were to be paid, it should have been him, Yu Zigao, going to Huang Shi's place, not the other way around.

Yet Huang Shi, like some minor figure, had rushed to the Yu residence in great haste on the first day of the new year. This alone made Yu Zigao feel he had gained immense face. When he saw the gift that Huang Shi personally handed over, Yu Zigao was even more delighted. Xiamen people were fond of pig trotters; during festivals, when juniors visited their elders, they would often bring a sack of pig trotters. Huang Shi had thoroughly played the part of a junior this time.

This scene left Hong Antong, standing behind Huang Shi, utterly dumbfounded. He had always felt that Huang Shi's gift was neither fish nor fowl and truly somewhat unpresentable. Seeing how delighted Yu Zigao was, Hong Antong could only marvel at his superior's "sage-like omnipotence."

Although Huang Shi insisted that today they should address each other by seniority, the Xiamen officers all disagreed. In the end, Huang Shi relented and agreed that Yu Zigao could call him Commander Huang, but the word "Grand" absolutely had to be omitted.

After entering and sampling some sweet and savory New Year cakes, the Yu residence began the banquet before sunset. At the banquet, the venerable General Yu naturally sat at the same table as Huang Shi, and each table was served a grand dish of "sea cucumber braised with pig trotters." Although people in other parts of China were also fond of this dish, few loved it as much as the people of Xiamen. Many of the military officers who had come to pay respects to the venerable General Yu today had brought pig trotters. In this dish prepared by the chef, everyone got a share. The pig trotters Huang Shi had brought were naturally among them.

Just as this dish was nearly finished, the venerable General Yu suddenly felt that something might be amiss. It was true that Huang Shi was giving him face, but he had not thought to remind the chef earlier, and to truly lump Huang Shi together with his own subordinates was perhaps a bit too disrespectful to a superior officer. At this thought, the venerable General Yu's heart tightened, and he hemmed and hawed, wanting to explain that it was an unintentional oversight, to avoid any unpleasantness.

But Huang Shi seemed not to mind at all. Before Yu Zigao could speak, Huang Shi had already picked up the last piece of pig trotter and said to the company with a laugh, "The venerable General Yu's chef is truly skilled. I'll cast aside all face to snatch this last piece."

Everyone laughed, and Yu Zigao also chuckled, "Commander Huang jests. It is merely simple fare."

"I've eaten so much today; I wonder which brother I've put out. Fortunately, I also brought a sack of pig trotters when I came, so I can count myself as having contributed a share. Otherwise, I truly would not feel at ease." As Huang Shi spoke, he ate that piece of pig trotter clean and still looked as if he wished for more.

"Commander Huang may not know, but this old man's chef was already somewhat renowned in Xiamen. To invite him to my home..." Seeing Huang Shi's appearance of craving more, Yu Zigao felt even more immensely proud and could not help boasting about his chef. As for the apology, Yu Zigao felt that since Huang Shi did not mind in the slightest, why should he stir up trouble? So he let the matter drop.

Dishes continued to be brought to the table. After a few cups of wine, Huang Shi asked Yu Zigao about the recovery of Penghu. This matter was originally the single proudest achievement of Yu Zigao's entire life. In order to monopolize the maritime trade from Quanzhou to Manila, the Dutch had landed on the Penghu Islands and built a fort, attempting to force Fujian merchants to trade with them, after which they would trade with the Spanish themselves.

After the Dutch took control of the Penghu Islands, the risks of maritime trade for Fujian merchants increased. At first, the Dutch set up checkpoints along the coast, either forcibly taxing Fujian merchants who went to trade with Manila on their own, or instigating Dutch pirates to plunder around Penghu, causing considerable losses to Great Ming merchants.

The Fujian authorities originally advocated resolving the matter peacefully and therefore negotiated with the Dutch several times. However, the differences between the two sides were too great. In the end, the Dutch East India Company advocated using military force to coerce the Fujian local authorities into recognizing their status, and intensified their piracy based out of Penghu, even launching an armed attack on Yuegang in Zhangzhou.

Yu Zigao strongly advocated for a punitive expedition, arguing that the Great Ming should treat the Dutch today exactly as it had treated the Japanese pirates in the time of Qi Jiguang. After negotiations broke down, Yu Zigao was ordered to command over ten thousand Fujian naval troops in battle against the Dutch. After three years of bitter struggle, Yu Zigao recovered most of Penghu. The Dutch also accepted the Fujian Provincial Governor's terms and signed a bond guaranteeing that they would never return to the Penghu Islands.

Recalling his own arduous struggles of those years and the sweet fruits of victory before him now, Yu Zigao grew more and more elated as he spoke. Once the venerable General Yu opened his chatterbox, he could not close it again. His graying beard quivered, and his two eyebrows danced up and down with the progress of the story, making Yu Zigao even forget to eat.

"This old man removed a great scourge for the nation, enough to shield Fujian province with a hundred years of peace. Ha ha ha ha."

Yu Zigao laughed heartily for a while. Seeing another dish being brought to the table, he immediately picked up his chopsticks and placed the fish head into Huang Shi’s bowl: “Marshal Huang, please, please — this is our Fujian custom. The fattest part, the fish head, must always be given to the guest. Heh heh.”

That evening Huang Shi left the Yu residence to stay at the Xiamen government office. After taking his leave and walking for a while, seeing no one around, Huang Shi raised his head to the sky and sighed deeply: “Thus, I have no more worries behind me.”

……

In the first month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Dongjiang Regional Commander Mao Wenlong concluded that a Later Jin attack on Kuandian was imminent, so he decided to strike first by attacking Zhenjiang. This would both relieve pressure on Kuandian and allow him to gather some grain for the winter — truly killing two birds with one stone.

At the same time, in Liaoyang.

The Later Jin regime ordered that all males over sixteen in the Manchu Eight Banners and the Mongol Left and Right Wings be conscripted into the army. Any Han willing to serve could also be freed from bondservant status and granted private land; if they achieved military merit, they could even obtain official rank. This time, Huang Taiji mobilized nearly thirty thousand armored troops and over fifty thousand unarmored auxiliary soldiers in one stroke, assembling a staggering force of eighty thousand — the largest military mobilization since the founding of the Later Jin regime.

“Truly an unprecedentedly powerful force. It will certainly catch Mao Wenlong completely off guard.” Manggūltai stood atop the city wall, watching the massive columns of troops filing out through the Liaoyang city gates below. The thirty thousand vanguard troops had long since reached Fenghuangcheng, yet the rear army had still not finished marching out of Liaoyang.

Today Manggūltai would lead the last contingent out. Huang Taiji, who planned to bluff with an empty city, came to see him off. Hearing Manggūltai’s exclamation, Huang Taiji laughed: “An opportunity like this comes once in a thousand years. Even if we cannot settle the Dongjiang Army once and for all, we must ensure Mao Wenlong cannot recover his strength within the year.”

Although Manggūltai knew Huang Taiji was unlikely to change his mind, he still asked one last time with concern: “Are you truly not even keeping a guard force?”

“None. The longer the night, the more dreams. We must crush Mao Wenlong as fast as possible. Besides, if Liaoxi really dares to send troops, what use would a single company of Heavy Armor Soldiers be?” Huang Taiji and the other three Great Beile had discussed this issue many times. Whenever the Later Jin army stayed beyond central Liao for over a month, Mao Wenlong would invariably come and cause trouble, so Later Jin simply had no time to dismantle the strategic encirclement on other fronts.

But if they struck at Mao Wenlong, the Mongols and Liaoxi would pose a fatal threat to Later Jin. The main Later Jin force was pinned down by the strategic encirclement. To neutralize the Mongols and Liaoxi, they first had to crush Mao Wenlong; to crush Mao Wenlong, they first had to neutralize the Mongols and Liaoxi… This was originally a deadlock that could not be broken from within.

“This opportunity is far too rare. We must throw in all our strength without the slightest hesitation.” Huang Taiji looked at Manggūltai, whose face still bore traces of worry, and smiled easily: “Fifth Brother, you may set your mind at ease. I can keep Yuan Chonghuan deceived for half a year without any problem. The only issue is provisions — you must fight fast and finish fast.”

“Four months’ provisions should be enough, and we can also gather some locally in Korea. What worries me is not this, but what to do in the second half of this year.”

To scrape together the army provisions for this campaign, Huang Taiji not only emptied the reserves of the Manchu Eight Banners and the Mongol Left and Right Wings, but also swore oaths to the Han under his rule, promising that if they handed over one dou of rice, all their taxes and corvée labor for the year would be waived. Some Han did not believe a single word Huang Taiji said, but others, half-believing and half-doubting, brought out their hidden grain and took the Later Jin regime’s guarantee of tax exemption for the year.

When Huang Taiji issued these guarantees on a massive scale, the other three Beile all chose to support him, because they all knew the current opportunity could not be missed — it was the only chance to escape their military predicament. But if Huang Taiji actually fulfilled his promises, not only would the Eight Banners lose tens of thousands of bondservants, but this year’s grain tax revenue would also be cut in half.

Though for now they could only take things one step at a time, Manggūltai was also full of worry about the future. If they had no food again come winter, they would have no choice but to turn on the Han once more. Everyone knew that the more they slaughtered the people under their rule, the fewer they became, and collapse was only a matter of time. Yet even knowing this cup held poisoned wine, when the moment came, they would still have to drink it.

“Fifth Brother, set your mind at ease. I have a plan.” Huang Taiji smiled enigmatically and sent the puzzled Manggūltai on his way.

……

In the first month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Amin led the thirty thousand vanguard troops from Fenghuangcheng in a feint attack on Kuandian. Upon learning that the Mongols could not come to reinforce him, Mao Wenlong directed the Dongjiang main force to furiously assault Zhenjiang without pause, attempting to relieve some of the pressure on Chen Jisheng. After successfully luring the enemy out, Amin bypassed Mao Wenlong’s main force and launched a swift raid on Yizhou in Korea. Later Jin collaborators opened the city gates to welcome Amin in. Over ten thousand Dongjiang refugees in Yizhou and its vicinity were slaughtered. Mao Wenlong retreated in panic by sea to Dongjiang Island and ordered the second-line Dongjiang troops near Tieshan to mobilize urgently.

……

At the end of the first month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, upon receiving Mao Wenlong’s urgent report, the Ming court urgently asked the Liaodong Provincial Governor what his plan was. Yuan Chonghuan told the court: there was absolutely no need to panic. They need only send a single envoy bearing a letter in his own hand, and he could order Huang Taiji to withdraw his troops!

Unfortunately, although Yuan Chonghuan issued his order, Huang Taiji ungratefully refused to withdraw. After Later Jin breached Yizhou in mid-first month, the eighty thousand-strong army poured into Korea. Amin, Manggūltai, Jirgalang, and others then split their forces into two routes. Fifty thousand troops aimed for Tieshan — the critical supply depot of the Dongjiang Army — and captured it in the second month. Dongjiang’s pitiful reserves fell into enemy hands.

After the loss of the Tieshan supplies, the Dongjiang main force was nearly paralyzed. Chen Jisheng hurriedly directed the Right Brigade down from the mountains, launching one desperate suicide attack after another against the Later Jin supply lines, trying to draw off some of the pressure for the main force. The Left Brigade was still in a chaotic reorganization period and had no offensive capability to speak of for the moment. Mao Wenlong urgently ordered Zhang Pan to transport the Left Brigade’s remaining grain to the main force, while once again begging the court for help, hoping the Liaoxi Ming army would move out and give the Dongjiang Army a chance to catch its breath.

The Ming court once again urgently ordered Yuan Chonghuan to attack the central Liao plain. Yuan Chonghuan submitted a memorial in protest, arguing: “Every winter when the ice forms, Marshal Mao retreats to his sea islands — this is known to all under Heaven. Those left at Tieshan are merely the old, the weak, and Korean natives!” In short, Yuan Chonghuan believed the situation in Korea was not critical at all, that Mao Wenlong still had considerable reserves of strength untapped, and so he did not send troops at all.

At the end of the second month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, the capital.

The Grand Secretariat read to the Tianqi Emperor the latest memorial from the Liaodong Provincial Governor. Yuan Chonghuan said he had “long known” of Later Jin’s plan to attack Korea. The reason he had previously said Later Jin’s target was Liaoxi and not Korea was not due to any oversight on his part, but because he wanted to seize the opportunity to build fortifications. Yuan Chonghuan also proposed a grand plan for building fortifications: advancing step by step, building blockhouses — “from Jinzhou and Yizhou, to Guangning, to Liaoyang and Shenyang, advancing steadily and solidly with each step.” As long as they could build all the way to under Huang Taiji’s nose without being interrupted, then “in four years, front and back, victory can be secured.”

“Nonsense!” The Tianqi Emperor shot up from the throne, his arms trembling with rage: “Sending relief troops is like putting out a fire. We spoke of relief troops, not building fortifications! This is about the immediate problem, not matters four years from now.”

“Your Majesty, calm your anger.” Gu Bingqian and the others kowtowed together in apology, then hemmed and hawed: “Your Majesty, trust those you employ and do not employ those you distrust. It would be best to let the Liaodong Provincial Governor act as he sees fit.”

“No. Though We do not understand military affairs, what the Liaodong Provincial Governor is doing is certainly wrong.” The Tianqi Emperor had recovered from his fury. He took a deep breath and declared in a clear voice: “Oral decree to the Liaodong Provincial Governor: ‘If Korea cannot hold and collapses into the slaves’ hands, the slaves’ power will grow further — this is not to our benefit either.’ … Also convey an edict to the Liaodong Provincial Governor: ‘You are hereby ordered to use the Guanning army to strike directly at the tiger’s lair,’ to relieve Marshal Mao’s predicament.”

“As His Majesty commands.”

……

In the third month of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, Liaodong Provincial Governor Yuan Chonghuan defied the imperial edict for the third time, submitting a memorial stating that it was not that he was unaware of the hundred thousand Later Jin troops attacking Korea. This time Yuan Chonghuan also admitted that Mao Wenlong probably truly could not withstand such a force. But Yuan Chonghuan argued that he guessed, had heard, and estimated that the Later Jin army actually had only two hundred thousand troops in total, because since Huang Taiji dared to remain in Liaoyang himself, he must be commanding a hundred thousand troops lying in wait at ease.

Since Huang Taiji had left behind an army in no way inferior to the Guanning Army, and since he, Yuan Chonghuan, had thoroughly seen through the enemy’s cunning scheme, Yuan Chonghuan believed they absolutely must not attack central Liao.

“…We hear that one hundred thousand slave troops are plundering Korea, and one hundred thousand remain on garrison. On what grounds do they recklessly speculate that the barbarian lair is empty? Even if we were to throw our entire force at it, not to mention that an isolated army cannot penetrate deeply, even if it did, what harm could it do to barbarians lying in wait at ease?…”

In the Hall of Golden Chimes, the Tianqi Emperor shook his head as he listened, murmuring under his breath: “This is wrong. Though We have never fought a battle, this is certainly wrong.”

Before Gu Bingqian could finish reading, the Tianqi Emperor said impatiently: “Pick the important parts. What exactly does the Liaodong Provincial Governor intend to do?”

“In reply to His Majesty, the Liaodong Provincial Governor says he is currently building three fortresses at Dalinghe, Xiaolinghe, and Xingshan.” Gu Bingqian now dared not say a single good word on Yuan Chonghuan’s behalf. Everything was “the Liaodong Provincial Governor says this, the Liaodong Provincial Governor states that” — in any case, no responsibility fell on Senior Grand Secretary Gu. Gu Bingqian flipped through Yuan Chonghuan’s memorial and quietly read to the Emperor: “The Liaodong Provincial Governor says: ‘If the fortresses are unfinished when the enemy arrives, we will inevitably have to withdraw, thus abandoning success on the verge of completion!’ The Liaodong Provincial Governor believes we should not provoke the Jianzhou slaves, lest we be attacked.”

“If we do not provoke the Jianzhou slaves, will the Jianzhou slaves not come and attack?” The Tianqi Emperor shook his head, his face full of weariness: “We do not wish to argue with the Liaodong Provincial Governor any further. Three times is the limit — he cannot defy the edict again. Issue another decree. Order him to send troops immediately.”

“As His Majesty commands.”

……

In mid-third month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, under the court’s repeated orders, Yuan Chonghuan dispatched five hundred sailors to support Mao Wenlong, then ordered Zhao Lujiao to lead nine thousand troops out beyond Dalinghe, advancing toward Sanchahe a hundred li away, preparing to build a pontoon bridge and cross the river.

At the end of the third month, after the main Later Jin force had penetrated deep into the Korean interior, the Dongjiang Army launched counterattacks against the Later Jin rear and flanks. Ming and Later Jin forces engaged in fierce combat around Tieshan. The Guanning Army had still not finished building the pontoon bridge.

In the early fourth month, the Dongjiang Army recaptured Tieshan. The Guanning Army had still not finished building the pontoon bridge.

On the eleventh day of the fourth month, Mao Wenlong’s Dongjiang Army fought a fierce battle with the Later Jin Army at Pingshan. In that engagement, the Ming army won a great victory. Including the heads of bondservants, Han troops, and others, the total decapitations exceeded a thousand. Upon inspection by the Laideng Garrison, over five hundred were Later Jin armored soldiers. The Later Jin Army resolved to withdraw. By this time, the Guanning Army had still not finished building the pontoon bridge…

On the fifteenth day of the fourth month, the Dongjiang Army recaptured Changcheng. The Guanning Army still…

On the eighteenth day of the fourth month, the Dongjiang Army fought a fierce battle with the Later Jin Army at the Yalujiang. The Later Jin Army began withdrawing from Korea. The Guanning Army…

At the end of the fourth month, Yuan Chonghuan ordered the Guanning Army to return to base. When they departed, that pontoon bridge still had not been successfully built.

……

On the fifth day of the fifth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, the capital.

“The Liaodong Governor’s relief of Korea was most impressive in its planning. Yet his officers and soldiers halted at the river’s edge — this is truly war on paper. Can the Liao troops truly be of any use?”

Gu Bingqian finished reading Wang Zaijin’s impeachment memorial and stole a glance at the Emperor. The Tianqi Emperor’s lips were pressed into a tight line. The Grand Secretariat all knew this expression meant His Majesty was in a very foul mood, so no one was willing to stick their neck out and invite misfortune.

“Grand Secretary Gu, what is your view?”

Although the Tianqi Emperor’s voice was as gentle as usual, upon hearing this question Gu Bingqian’s heart gave a violent lurch. Though he was inwardly screaming “Injustice! What does this have to do with me?”, he could not refuse to answer the Emperor’s question. Gu Bingqian inconspicuously wiped a handful of sweat from his forehead with lightning speed: “In reply to His Majesty, this old minister heard the Liaodong Provincial Governor say…”

“We do not want to hear what the Liaodong Provincial Governor says. We want to hear what you say. Are you not Our Senior Grand Secretary? We want to hear what you say!”

“His Majesty, forgive my offense, forgive my offense.” With an agility unbefitting his age, Gu Bingqian sprang from his chair and dropped to his knees, beginning to kowtow.

Behind the Tianqi Emperor, Wei Zhongxian’s sleeves hung low, as if he were staring blankly at the tips of his boots, his gaze making no contact with the grand secretaries at all. The other two grand secretaries also stared expressionlessly at the tips of their own noses, deaf to the sounds around them.

The Tianqi Emperor placed both hands on the armrests of the throne, leaning his body slightly forward, and gently comforted Gu Bingqian: “We merely wish to hear what Grand Secretary Gu thinks. Why is Grand Secretary begging for forgiveness?”

“His Majesty, forgive my offense.”

“Grand Secretary, do speak. You are Our Senior Grand Secretary.”

“His Majesty, forgive my offense.”

"Forget it," Tianqi suddenly snapped coldly, leaning back heavily in his seat. "Grand Secretary, just tell me what the Liaodong Provincial Governor said."

"As commanded." Gu Bingqian replied in a steady, forceful voice, kneeling upright as if granted a great reprieve. "The Liaodong Provincial Governor said: 'The three cities are now complete, and the battle lines are four hundred li away — our defenses are more impregnable than ever!' Taking advantage of the Later Jin's moment of weakness, we have successfully completed the construction of three cities. With this, Liaoxi should be free from worry."

At this moment, Tianqi propped his right elbow on the armrest of the imperial throne, resting his forehead on his hand, and asked somewhat distractedly: "Is it certain that the three cities at Dalinghe have been repaired?"

"The Liaodong Provincial Governor says they are repaired."

"Hmm. At the end of last month, Marshal Mao sent an urgent report saying he had learned that the Jianzhou slaves would attack Liaoxi again on the sixth day of the fifth month — that is, tomorrow. Marshal Mao said he could not divide his forces, so he wanted the Liaodong Regional Military Commission to make early preparations. I just want to know whether the three cities of Dalinghe, Xiaolinghe, and Xingshan are actually repaired or not. Will there be problems in Liaoxi?"

"Your Majesty, the Liaodong Provincial Governor says: 'If Hong Tai does not come, all is well. If he does, he will surely be captured by your minister.'"

Tianqi gave a lazy, cold sneer. "The Liaodong Provincial Governor says, the Liaodong Provincial Governor says... So are the cities repaired or not? Are there problems with the Liaoxi defenses or not? What does my Senior Grand Secretary say?"

"Your Majesty, forgive my offense."

"No offense, no offense." Tianqi called out twice impatiently, then straightened up and rose to his feet. Just moments before, a deep sense of loathing had surged into the young emperor's chest, nearly suffocating him. After standing and taking two breaths, feeling slightly better, Tianqi looked down again at the three Grand Secretaries before him. Instantly, that feeling surged back like a tide, crashing into him so hard he stumbled. He decided to go do some carpentry to clear his head. "My head aches, it aches badly. You, the Grand Secretariat, and the Directorate of Ceremonial discuss and handle this matter. Do not disturb me. Whatever you decide, I agree to it, I approve it all!"

The ink on the treaty with Korea from the eighteenth of the fourth month was barely dry when, on the sixth day of the fifth month — precisely the same day Mao Wenlong's memorial had predicted — Hong Taiji led the four-banner force that had just returned to central Liaodong and set out. Besides the ten thousand armored soldiers of the four banners, Hong Taiji also mobilized twenty thousand bondservants and banner men, having every four of them push a small cart to transport grain back from Liaoxi.

"Fifth Brother, do you see now how I solved the grain problem?" Hong Taiji said with a laugh from horseback to the man beside him. Mang Gūltai's rear army had only just returned to Liaoyang when Hong Taiji immediately assembled his forces and departed.

"We're going to move it from Liaoxi?"

"Haha, I've already found out clearly. Yuan Chonghuan just finished repairing the three cities at Dalinghe and the others, moved in a large amount of grain, and stationed tens of thousands of Guanning troops there. Besides that, Yuan Chonghuan has also set up several thousand qing of military farms in Liaoxi, settling dozens of military households, men and women both. Not only can we move the grain back, we can also capture over a hundred thousand Ming soldiers to come back and farm. You see, the grain we exempted this year, and the bondservants we released — doesn't this bring them all back? Haha."

The ninth day of the fifth month, seventh year of the Tianqi reign. Xiapu.

Ouyang Xin solemnly placed the helmet with its five-inch red tassel onto his head and walked out of the tent in the temporary camp. The orderly ranks of the Firefighting Battalion's engineer corps immediately unfolded before his eyes. Behind them, on the vast sea, the huge Guangdong ships were slowly rising and falling with the waves. Ouyang Xin swept his extremely envious gaze over that expanse of the Feathered Forest Guard, fiercely drew a deep breath, and shouted with all his strength:

"Move out! Our engineer corps will be the first to enter Yunnan!"