[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-292":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},1220909,1614,"Chapter 292: Chapter Forty-Nine: Heroes","stealing-ming-chapter-292",292,"\u003Cp>On the twentieth day of the sixth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, in the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhongxian, holding a memorial, crept forward on tiptoe, his steps so light they made not the slightest sound. Before him, the Tianqi Emperor sat with his back turned, bent over his carpentry. But before Wei Zhongxian could announce himself, Tianqi said without turning his head: \"Stop! Say nothing. Wait until I am finished.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving this order, Tianqi planed his beloved wooden board with redoubled effort. Sweat poured ceaselessly from the young man's forehead, tracing two unbroken rivulets down his cheeks before dripping steadily onto the floor. As Tianqi labored at his woodwork, he occasionally let out a few muffled, indistinct coughs. The several eunuchs around him dared not speak much, merely assisting him in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhongxian did not know how long he had stood behind the Emperor — perhaps a good many hours. At last, Tianqi stopped his work in utter exhaustion. A violent fit of coughing erupted from him, and his cheeks were suddenly stained an eerie red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tea!\" the Emperor called out first, then simply seized the teapot himself, tilted his head back, and gulped down the cold tea in great mouthfuls. After such prolonged labor, his forehead seemed even more pallid. Once he had drunk his fill, Tianqi collapsed weakly into a nearby chair, propped his elbows on the armrests, and buried his head deep in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianqi sat silently for another moment, then let out a deep sigh: \"Speak. What has happened in Liaoxi now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As commanded.\" Wei Zhongxian held the memorial and began to summarize the contents of several reports: from the bloody back-to-the-wall battle at Ningyuan, where fierce assaults were repeatedly thwarted, to the three major victories and twenty-five minor victories at Jinzhou; from severely wounding the sons of Daišan, Hong Taiji, and others, to killing several thousand Jin soldiers and gravely wounding over ten thousand every day by cannon fire, for twenty-four consecutive days of slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We won?\" Tianqi abruptly raised his head and asked in astonishment: \"You mean to say, we won?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to Your Majesty, we won.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianqi fixed his gaze on Wei Zhongxian's face and studied it carefully for a moment. With a sudden wave of his hand, a young eunuch stepped forward and fetched the memorial for the Emperor. The moment Tianqi had it, he tore it open impatiently and began to read, his arm trembling involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Now indeed the siege has been lifted and the enemy's edge blunted. This is truly due to the bitter, bloody fighting of the inner garrison officers, the secret planning of the cabinet and ministries, and the years of encouragement given to the soldiers by the Viceroy, Provincial Governor, ministry officials, and circuit intendants — how else could we have held a flawed city abandoned six years ago, with a motley host assembled in a single month, and won such an extraordinary victory? For this reason it is fitting to send urgent report to this minister. This minister observes that the enemy came this time riding the momentum of their recent victory at Dongjiang, already looking down upon our Ningyuan and Jinzhou as if from a high perch. Who could have known that, by His Majesty's magnificent dynastic revival, with the army marching in strict discipline, with the secret grand strategies of the Depot Superintendent, every officer and man dared to die? In scores of battles great and small, the siege has been lifted and the enemy has withdrawn. Truly this is a military achievement the likes of which has not been seen in decades!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ha.\" Tianqi finished reading the memorial aloud in a soft voice. He leaned back comfortably, exhaled a long, relaxed breath, and his voice suddenly grew resonant: \"In Jinzhou alone, the Provincial Governor of Liaodong says that every day they killed three to four thousand of the enemy, with over ten thousand gravely wounded and near death, for twenty-four consecutive days. Hmm, so that is seventy thousand enemy killed, and gravely wounded... hmm, seventy thousand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianqi's lips moved slightly as he recalculated the numbers in his head. Still feeling something was off, he picked up the earlier memorial and examined it carefully again, then let out another long breath and said: \"Oh, that was the highest day. On lesser days they only killed a little over a thousand of the enemy. Hmm. Over twenty-four days, let us say thirty thousand then. Hmm. The Provincial Governor of Liaodong puts it well — this is 'truly a military achievement the likes of which has not been seen in decades'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Excellent!\" Tianqi repeated in a deep voice, then smiled and looked up at Wei Zhongxian: \"Then, adding the kills from Ningyuan and other places, how many heads were taken in total during this great victory?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to Your Majesty, two hundred heads were taken.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two hundred heads taken?\" Tianqi lowered his head and looked at his own hands. After pondering for a moment, he raised his head and smiled: \"The Provincial Governor of Liaodong fears I will censure him for advocating peace talks and failing to relieve Korea, so he deliberately exaggerated the battle results somewhat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhongxian hastily replied: \"Your Majesty's insight is profound. The Jian rebels have been fickle, and the Provincial Governor of Liaodong is likely somewhat uneasy at heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Am I that harsh?\" Tianqi laughed. He seemed to be in a very good mood now, so he picked up the several memorials and looked at them again. When he set them down once more, the Emperor's mood appeared even better: \"The various officers at Ningyuan took over one hundred and forty heads in defense, and General Man Gui took another sixty heads in pursuit. It seems there were indeed several bitter engagements. Hmm, in my view, when the Provincial Governor of Liaodong speaks of scores of battles great and small, most of them were probably still lost, which is why the head count is not high — but they did indeed win a few battles.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhongxian quickly bowed and smiled: \"Your Majesty sees with clarity across ten thousand li. Your humble minister and the Grand Secretariat think the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is enough. In the past, the Guanning Army did not even have the courage to march out and give battle. This time they dared to fiercely engage the Jian rebels in scores of battles — truly a great improvement. Regardless of victory or defeat, the Provincial Governor of Liaodong has rendered no small merit. No reward I bestow would be excessive. Have the Grand Secretariat draft the rescript. Generously reward those who rendered meritorious service this time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianqi's decision caught Wei Zhongxian somewhat off guard. He hesitated and asked: \"Only two hundred heads taken, and this warrants a generous reward?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am in no hurry. As long as there is progress, that is good. I do not demand that every man be a fierce general like Marshal Huang.\" Tianqi returned the memorial to the young eunuch, stood up, and stretched heavily, laughing heartily: \"I have been doing carpentry all afternoon. I am truly famished. Quickly, bring me something to eat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of the sixth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, the Great Ming imperial court proclaimed to the realm that the Ming army had won the Great Victory of Ningjin. Tianqi held that Wei Zhongxian, the Superintendent of the Eastern Depot, had directed affairs from the center and rendered the most outstanding service, followed by Senior Grand Secretary Gu Bingqian, then by the Provincial Governor of Liaodong Yuan Chonghuan, and below them Man Gui and the various officers of Guanning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this time, the Firefighting Battalion had already marched out of the borders of Jiangxi and was advancing across the great land of Huguang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vast, white curtain of rain and mist obscured the travelers' vision. Huang Shi gripped a wooden staff in his hand, wearing a full set of rain gear as he forged ahead, one step deep, one step shallow. The heavy rain reduced visibility to an extremely low level. Several times Huang Shi nearly misjudged the road beneath his feet, and when he reached a fork, he had to walk right up to the Internal Guard officers before he could clearly see the direction they were pointing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi peered carefully at the road before him — it was truly a blur. Muddy water flowed everywhere, and the official highway and the fields had become completely indistinguishable. Huang Shi involuntarily slowed his pace a little more, afraid of leading the troops behind him astray. Hmm, in the distance, something red seemed to be flickering. Huang Shi quickened his steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hoo.\" When he saw the Internal Guard soldier at the fork, Huang Shi let out a long breath. At least they were still marching on the correct road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Internal Guard soldier also wore a full set of rain gear, but on his head he still wore that white helmet. He had one hand raised to his ear in salute to Huang Shi. On the tree behind this soldier, the Viper Flag was tightly bound, yet still fluttered in the wind amid the lightning and thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apart from the snaking column of the Firefighting Battalion, there was not a single human figure in the wilderness. An Internal Guard soldier ran up and shouted with all his might into Huang Shi's ear: \"Marshal — there is a village up ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\" Huang Shi shouted back at that Internal Guard soldier, straining his throat just as hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching that village slowly emerge from behind the curtain of rain, Huang Shi wiped the water from his face and once more led the call: \"Bravery! Victory!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the drums of the Funing Army thundered with renewed fervor. The officers and soldiers puffed out their chests against the raging storm, and the weapons they had been using as walking sticks were now smartly shouldered. Heads high, they chanted their cadence as they strode past the front of the village. Right beside these soldiers, many of the local common folk surged to the edge of the village, standing in the rain and shouting toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General Who Pacifies the Barbarians! The Firefighting Battalion!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they reached the designated campsite for the day, the Firefighting Battalion had also marched out of the rain zone. The sun revealed a ray of rosy light from behind the dense clouds, gilding the Funing Army's encampment with a golden glow. Outside the camp, rows of thick ropes were strung up. The officers and soldiers removed their heavy, sodden clothing and hung them up to dry. These personal items had to be packed into bamboo baskets and carried on their backs. Getting rid of some of the water quickly would lighten tomorrow's burden somewhat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An engineer approached with a map and reported to Huang Shi: \"Marshal, today the entire army marched twenty-seven li. In three consecutive days of marching in the rain, we have covered a total of seventy-five li.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, noted.\" Huang Shi turned and looked back at the bustling camp. After dozens of days of this long march, not only had the soldiers not collapsed, they seemed increasingly spirited. Their daily marching speed had not only been maintained but even showed a trend of steady improvement. Soon, the local residents delivered meals to the camp. After the officers and soldiers of the Firefighting Battalion expressed their thanks, they engaged in lively conversation with the locals. Although their accents differed considerably, they still managed to chat quite happily with gestures and pantomime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marshal, more people are requesting to enlist.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In these days, they encountered groups of able-bodied young men asking to join Huang Shi's army every single day. Rumors about the Firefighting Battalion had spread like wildfire through the provinces along their route. Many commoners had heard that a single soldier earned more in monthly pay than they could earn in a year of bitter toil, and with the amplifying effect of hearsay, the figure had been blown more and more out of proportion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi could buy sufficient supplies for very little money. The inland villages were truly impoverished; grain, eggs, and pork were all much cheaper than in Fujian, where maritime trade flourished. Every day, the villages the Firefighting Battalion passed through became as bustling as market days. Villagers from dozens of li around flocked over to hawk their chickens, ducks, eggs, and fruits and vegetables. Besides grain and pork, the Firefighting Battalion's cooks would also purchase quite a lot of fruits and vegetables. To the impoverished locals who ate pickled vegetables all year round, the Firefighting Battalion seemed to be celebrating a festival every single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tales about this unit stirred the monotonous, day-after-day lives of the peasants in Jiangxi, Huguang, and other provinces. Many young men who prided themselves on their strength clamored to enlist and go to the southwest with Huang Shi to suppress the rebellion. As quite a few put it: \"To live a few years of this kind of life, eating meat in big chunks — even if you die, it would have been worth it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But of course, Huang Shi could not possibly recruit these people directly into the Firefighting Battalion. So he said to the Internal Guard soldier who had come to report: \"Handle it according to the old method.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At your command.\" That Internal Guard soldier saluted and withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Internal Guard unit quickly set up several tables. The sturdy men who had come to sign up thought this was registration for enlistment and excitedly crowded around. The Funing Garrison Internal Guards asked for their names and places of origin, then wrote this information out in duplicate, after which they had the applicants press their thumbprints onto both forms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once all this was completed, the Funing Army would hand one of the copies to the applicant: \"If this brother truly wishes to enlist, take this paper and go to Xiapu in Fujian. Our Funing Garrison has already registered you, brother. The moment you arrive at the Funing Garrison, you will be assigned to a battalion and granted military pay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This certificate also bore the great seal of the Funing Garrison. Along the way, the enlistee could use it as a travel permit to deal with inspections by local government offices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this era, many who came to enlist were quite confident in their physiques, but many others were simply looking for a meal. So at the Funing Garrison, all who came to sign up for enlistment underwent extremely strict screening and were then placed into ordinary military households. When the time came for expansion, the best would be selected from among them to replenish the recruit battalions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Huang Shi was hurrying southwest. He had no opportunity, nor the time, to conduct screening at this moment, much less to directly incorporate these volunteers into the Firefighting Battalion. So Huang Shi had set this rule: if among them there truly were some who were willing to leave their homes and travel a thousand li to enlist at the Funing Garrison, then they must be men of tremendous self-confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, Huang Shi had also considered that, given the current means of transportation and communication, to trek alone a thousand li to enlist at the Funing Garrison required more than mere courage. Those who could arrive must not only possess an iron will and a determination that would not rest until their goal was achieved, but must also be very capable individuals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Huang Shi had already sent word to Zhao Manxiong: if such men truly came to enlist, they were to be placed directly into the recruit battalion for training. In his letter to Zhao Manxiong, Huang Shi wrote: \"Whether or not they bear my slip of paper, those who willingly journey to Xiapu to enlist must be heroes and outstanding men of Huguang and Jiangxi. If the army were filled with such stalwart warriors, what rebel could possibly withstand the edge of our Funing Army?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Huang Shi had anticipated, the moment most people heard they would have to travel a thousand li to enlist, their courage failed them. Ninety-nine out of a hundred backed down. After all, most of them had never even been to a village too far away, let alone traveled alone across provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, the Firefighting Battalion ate breakfast at dawn and set out. A few days later, in a village not far from Huang Shi's encampment, a young man was bidding farewell to his younger sister and brother-in-law. This young man's surname was Jiang, given name Min, twenty years of age. With no parents above and no wife or children below, feeding himself alone meant the whole household was fed. After returning from the Firefighting Battalion's camp, he had sold off his little hut and his meager household goods. When he came to say goodbye to his sister's family, he carried nothing but a little traveling money, a small bundle, and a wooden staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brother-in-law objected: \"Elder Brother-in-law, you have never left the hundred li around our home. And where exactly is this Xiapu in Fujian?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Min wore an utterly unconcerned expression: \"Look, here is a map. There are plenty of place names along the way. I will just ask for directions as I go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brother-in-law was alarmed and quickly grabbed Jiang Min's arm: \"Elder Brother-in-law, on this journey to Fujian, if you catch a headache or a fever along the way, you will not have a single familiar face by your side. What will you do then? And even if you arrive, how do you know you will be able to enlist for sure?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know this journey means nine chances of death for one of life,\" Jiang Min still wore that utterly unconcerned expression, now tinged with a hint of pride: \"But in my view, Grand Marshal Huang is a hero of the age, and under his command he accepts none but the most outstanding men. That is why he wants to see just how much weight this Jiang carries. Look, Grand Marshal Huang's soldiers have marched all the way from Fujian. If I can walk there alone, that proves my strength is not beneath that of Grand Marshal Huang's soldiers. Then what reason would Grand Marshal Huang have not to accept me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Min's brother-in-law wanted to argue further, but Jiang Min had grown impatient: \"Ever since I was a child, I have known that I was not born to scratch a living from the dirt. Enough. Take good care of my sister, and wait for me to return home in silken robes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving behind his weeping sister and his worried brother-in-law, Jiang Min stepped onto the main road, facing the morning sun. He carefully touched the area over his heart once more, then let out a long cry to the heavens and strode off toward the east. Jiang Min did not know that, at this very moment, across the lands of Huguang and Jiangxi, there were several hundred young men like him, hearts brimming with ambition, each striding swift as flight toward Xiapu in Fujian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Defying an imperial decree? Who? General Man Gui?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing Wei Zhongxian's report, Tianqi's face was filled with astonishment. In this Ning-Jin campaign, Man Gui had taken sixty heads and was ranked first in merit, so Tianqi had specially issued an imperial favor decree to Man Gui, promoting him from Vice Commissioner-in-Chief to Right Commissioner-in-Chief. To his surprise, when Tianqi's palace envoy reached Shanhai Pass, he was met with a flat rebuff from Man Gui — Man Gui absolutely refused to accept the decree, no matter what was said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Defying a decree — and an imperial favor decree at that.\" Tianqi gave a bitter laugh. He felt that he, as Emperor, had lost far too much face. Not only did the civil officials defy decrees all the time, but now even military officers were doing it. \"In this great Ning-Jin victory, General Man Gui was ranked first in merit. Why would he defy the decree?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The palace envoy answered honestly, \"Your Majesty, forgive me — your humble servant does not know. General Man Gui kept shouting that he must come to the capital for a personal audience with Your Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words made Wei Zhongxian's expression shift subtly. A frontier general defying a decree was already a deeply taboo matter, and clamoring to come to the capital for an imperial audience was even more unreasonable. Seeing a hesitant look on Tianqi's face, Wei Zhongxian asked furtively, \"Your Majesty, what if we issue another favor decree — in addition to promoting General Man Gui to Right Commissioner-in-Chief, we add two hundred taels of reward silver? What does Your Majesty think?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, that does sound rather good.\" Tianqi hesitated for a moment. In the end, his generous nature won out. \"Ah, forget it. General Man Gui has rendered great service to the state, and he has never met me. Since he harbors such sincere devotion, I cannot bear to chill General Man Gui's heart. After all, finding time to see him once won't take long. Issue a palace decree to Shanhai Pass today. Summon General Man Gui to the capital for an imperial audience.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As commanded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twenty-second day of the seventh month of the seventh year of Tianqi. Guizhou Provincial Administration Commission, Dujun Prefecture, Pingding Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Commander, further ahead is Xintian Guard. Past Xintian Guard is Longli Guard, and past Longli Guard is Guiyang Prefecture.\" The speaker was Ouyang Xin, chief instructor of engineers in the Training Corps. He had long since taken a ship by sea, then traveled north directly to Guiyang. Besides serving in reverse as an advance guide post for the Firearms Battalion, Ouyang Xin was also responsible for setting the forward station for He Dingyuan's Rock-solid Battalion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, good. How far is it from here to Guiyang?\" With victory in sight, the joy in Huang Shi's heart was beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The straight-line distance is two hundred li. Following the Guizhou official road, it is two hundred and forty li from here to Guiyang. At my lord's current pace, that is a journey of seven days.\" Ouyang Xin cautiously asked another question: \"Grand Commander, these past two days, Lord Zhang should already have reached Guiyang. Should my lord go ahead first and hurry to Guiyang to pay a visit to Lord Zhang?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Lord Zhang\" in Ouyang Xin's mouth was Zhang Heming. He was a typical Donglin gentleman — or rather, a party hack. All he could do for the state was \"in ordinary times, fold your hands and discourse on mind and nature; when crisis comes, die once to repay your sovereign.\" Because aside from that one death, Zhang Heming had no other talent with which to serve the state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Lord Zhang Heming was a close friend of Sun Chengzong's teacher Ye Xianggao, and had been Senior Grand Secretary in the early years of Tianqi. Back when Xiong Tingbi went beyond the passes as Grand Coordinator of Liaodong, Ye Xianggao and Zhang Heming held a banquet to invite Xiong Tingbi to dinner. After conversing with the two for a while, Xiong Tingbi turned to someone else and said, \"These are two enormous blockheads who know absolutely nothing about Liaodong affairs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From then on, Zhang Heming became the mortal enemy of Xiong Big-mouth. Immediately afterward, he recommended to Tianqi his old friend Ye Xianggao's disciple Wang Huazhen as Provincial Governor of Liaodong. And throughout the Grand Coordinator–Provincial Governor dispute between Xiong Tingbi and Wang Huazhen, Zhang Heming threw his full weight behind Wang Huazhen with deadly determination. After the Guangning catastrophe, although Zhang Heming volunteered to oversee the armies beyond the passes, Tianqi had become utterly disgusted with Zhang Heming's Liaodong pacification strategy and could not even be bothered to reply to him with vermilion endorsements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Guangning catastrophe, Tianqi kicked Zhang Heming back to his hometown to recuperate. Before departing, Zhang Heming recommended yet another of Ye Xianggao's disciples — namely, Tianqi's own teacher Sun Chengzong — to oversee the armies in Liaodong. This suggestion actually aligned quite well with Tianqi's own thinking, so he sent Zhang Heming to Nanjing as Minister of Works, which could also be considered providing for his retirement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it turned out, Old Zhang had barely been in Nanjing two days when the Guangning case and the coinage case erupted one after another. As a veteran Donglin party hack, it was Zhang Heming who had originally fought tooth and nail to absolve Wang Huazhen of guilt, and now he was defending the Donglin men in Nanjing with his life, which finally made the Emperor thoroughly sick of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the sixth year of Tianqi, the Emperor presented the seventy-five-year-old Zhang Heming with a Minister of War title plus an Imperial Sword, ordering him to leave his convalescent retreat in scenic Nanjing at once and go to the southwest to suppress the She-An Rebellion. Old Zhang accepted the decree, gave thanks, and set out immediately, trekking over mountains and rivers until he finally reached Guiyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the history Huang Shi originally knew, the one and only thing Zhang Heming did in the southwest was nothing at all. After Chongzhen ascended the throne and the Donglin Party came to power, Zhang Heming's disciples and followers bestowed upon Old Zhang the honorific title of Grand Preceptor to the Crown Prince and sent him away from the southwest to retire at home. In the eighth year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng's forces occupied Zhang Heming's hometown. The eighty-five-year-old Zhang Heming, ignoring his family's dissuasion, stopped Li Zicheng and urged him to submit to the imperial court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the surrender appeal failed, Zhang Heming burst into furious curses at Li Zicheng. Li Zicheng had not intended to bother with an old man, so he ordered Zhang Heming hung upside down from a tree and assigned two soldiers to watch him, saying that when he stopped cursing they would let him down. As it turned out, Old Zhang's backbone was exceedingly hard — he kept cursing without cease, and after being hung for several hours, he apparently died of a cerebral hemorrhage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Huang Shi did not know Zhang Heming's future experiences, he had no fondness for Donglin party hacks. However, when the Nanjing coinage case broke, Zhang Heming was precisely the Nanjing Minister of Works. Huang Shi had helped him dispose of large quantities of copper coins manufactured by the Donglin Party, so the Nanjing Ministry of Works owed Huang Shi no small number of favors, and the two of them could be said to have a decent personal relationship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Zhang Heming was overseeing the armies in the southwest, with unified command over the four Provincial Administration Commissions of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi to jointly suppress the She-An Rebellion, Huang Shi naturally wanted to maintain good relations with this man. But after careful consideration, he decided to advance together with the troops. No one could criticize a commanding general for marching with his troops. Huang Shi was now the center of everyone's attention; if he went alone to see Zhang Heming, someone might well say he was currying favor with civil officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, military officers currying favor with civil officials was perfectly natural and proper, but such things were best done in private. Huang Shi felt that Zhang Heming was already seventy-six years old, and there was absolutely no need to invite gossip just to cultivate a relationship with an old man. Besides, Zhang Heming had bobbed up and down in the sea of officialdom for decades and was long since an old fox whose fur had gone completely white. Huang Shi believed he would fully understand this small difficulty of his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twenty-fourth day of the seventh month. The capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Man Gui arrived in Beijing, the Emperor did not make him wait long but summoned him very quickly. During Man Gui's audience before the throne, Wei Zhongxian, out of curiosity, stood to one side helping to serve tea and water. After listening for a while, beads of sweat the size of soybeans began to seep from Wei Zhongxian's forehead. Tianqi's expression was terrifyingly calm, which made Wei Zhongxian sense the harbinger of an approaching storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianqi invited Man Gui to drink tribute tea, then had men temporarily fetch an Imperial Sword and bestowed the Son of Heaven's sword upon Man Gui. At the same time, Tianqi also decided not to confer upon Man Gui the post of Right Commissioner-in-Chief. This time, Man Gui would be promoted directly from Vice Commissioner-in-Chief to Left Commissioner-in-Chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When seeing Man Gui off, the Emperor wore a faint smile, but Wei Zhongxian behind him had long since turned ashen. Before Man Gui's figure had completely vanished from the Orchid Terrace, and without waiting for Tianqi to turn around, Wei Zhongxian had already collapsed to the ground, kowtowing with loud thuds: \"Your humble servant deserves death ten thousand times over. Deserves death ten thousand times over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Tianqi turned and walked back beside the imperial desk, not only was there no trace of a smile left on his face, but even the color had drained away completely, leaving him so pale he was almost indistinguishable from a corpse. As if he did not see Wei Zhongxian kowtowing desperately beside him, he merely sat down in silence, bowed his head deeply toward his chest, and buried all ten fingers into his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, Tianqi laboriously uttered a few syllables in a low voice: \"Shackling the officers and men, sitting by and watching them plunder and ravage — these are my grand ministers of the frontier? Am I so lacking in virtue as this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Wei Zhongxian, these words were nothing less than an imperial pardon. He sprang up from the ground at once and cried out hoarsely, \"Yuan Chonghuan! Deceiving the sovereign and deluding the throne, presumptuously advocating peace negotiations, halting the troops and refusing to fight, allowing the enemy to advance unchecked. The crime warrants — beheading, with his brothers, wife, and children exiled three thousand li.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianqi lifted his head from his hands and turned to look at Wei Zhongxian before him. Seeing this, the latter hastily knelt and shuffled forward a few steps on his knees, shouting, \"Your Majesty, you must immediately dispatch the Embroidered Uniform Guard to throw Yuan Chonghuan into the imperial prison at once and exhaustively investigate his crimes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, Tianqi shook his head. These past days the Emperor had originally been quite happy, but now his words were once again filled with boundless weariness: \"This is not the problem of the Liaodong Provincial Governor alone. At the Battle of Ningyuan, Yuan Chonghuan arbitrarily took two-thirds of Marshal Man's heads to request honors for the various commanders of Guan-Ning. This time, Yuan Chonghuan again privately divided up Marshal Man's heads... And after he did something so enormous, I actually knew nothing at all — nothing at all. Ha. I even issued a decree proclaiming to all under heaven the celebration of the 'Great Ning-Jin Victory.' Ha. All the myriad states under heaven — what will they think of me? What kind of creature will they take me for?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Tianqi turned again to look at Wei Zhongxian and asked softly, \"Apart from one utterly loyal Marshal Man, I have raised so many censors, so many officials in the Liaodong Regional Military Commission — why did not a single one tell me the truth? Why did I know nothing at all?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sweat poured down Wei Zhongxian's forehead. He ground his teeth and said, \"Your Majesty, your humble servant dares to beg Your Majesty to hand this case over to your humble servant. Your humble servant will exhaustively investigate this case and will certainly not let a single villain slip through the net!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does that include you?\" Tianqi suddenly roared in fury. He stood up and pointed his finger at Wei Zhongxian, about to rebuke him, but instead burst into a violent fit of coughing. This coughing came on so fiercely that it sounded as if his lungs were about to be spewed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding eunuchs hurried over to support the Emperor as he sat down. Once Tianqi had caught his breath, Wei Zhongxian was again kneeling on the ground kowtowing, wailing as he did so: \"Your humble servant deserves death ten thousand times over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Tianqi felt the sky spinning and the earth turning before his eyes. After forcefully drawing a few breaths, his head felt slightly clearer, but his legs and feet were still weak. Panting, he said feebly, \"I knew it. Those outer officials have always reported only the good and never the bad. Not one in a hundred is reliable. That is why I put you palace eunuchs in important positions, hoping you could share my burdens. To think, to think... that you would collude with the outer officials!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Tianqi's voice was soft, to Wei Zhongxian it was like thunderbolts from heaven. He wept with snot and tears streaming: \"Your Majesty, your humble servant is utterly loyal and devoted. There is absolutely no such thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what has the Eastern Depot been doing? And what has the Northern Pacification Office been doing?\" Tianqi's vision began to go dark in waves, and his speech became intermittent, yet he felt his thoughts were sharper than usual. \"Ah, yes. A few days ago, Yuan Chonghuan submitted a memorial saying he wanted to build a shrine for you. I suppose he stuffed you with quite a bit of silver too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But your humble servant did not agree to it, Your Majesty. Your humble servant is truly wronged.\" Wei Zhongxian lay on the ground weeping continuously. He desperately defended himself: \"Your humble servant implores Your Majesty to exhaustively investigate this case and clear your humble servant's name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exhaustively investigate this case? Ha. I have just proclaimed to all under heaven the Great Ning-Jin Victory, and right after that I exhaustively investigate this case?\" Tianqi laughed twice mockingly, then suddenly let out a sharp shout: \"Li Jinzhong, you may have no face, but I still want mine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jinzhong was Wei Zhongxian's name before he rose to prominence. Hearing Tianqi address him thus, Wei Zhongxian knew the Emperor was now furiously enraged. He knelt on the ground kowtowing like a pestle pounding garlic, the blood on his head mixing with sweat. Wei Zhongxian knew that Tianqi was very soft-hearted; as long as he desperately admitted his fault, he could always muddle through this crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This Yuan Chonghuan can no longer be used, but this is not entirely his fault. If not for your collusion between the inner and outer courts, he absolutely would not have had the nerve! Therefore, the crime of deceiving the sovereign and deluding the throne — I cannot let him bear it alone. That would be unfair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianqi suddenly rallied. He stood up and paced rapidly in a few circles, then raised his head and instructed Wei Zhongxian behind him: \"I have ruled the realm for seven years, governing all under heaven with a heart of benevolence. If there is guilt under heaven, the guilt lies with my own person. Since Yuan Chonghuan had the achievement at Ningyuan, I shall not pursue his crimes of presumptuously advocating peace negotiations and halting the troops to refuse battle this time. According to the established practice for Vice Ministers, grant him red cloth and white silk, and let him return home to be a man of ease.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As commanded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also, that Zhao Lujiao is a man of iron. Relying on a batch of military farm households, he was able to hold Jinzhou. Without external reinforcements, he did not lose heart. He should be granted an Imperial Sword as encouragement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As commanded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianqi stood silently for a moment, then slowly turned to face the southwest. \"When did Marshal Huang depart?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to Your Majesty, Marshal Huang left Xiapu on the eighth day of the fifth month.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After calculating the distance and speed in his mind, Tianqi sighed. \"This journey will probably take until the twelfth month before he reaches Guiyang. I only wonder when Marshal Huang will be able to pacify the southwestern rebellion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty need not worry. Marshal Huang is brave and invincible. In less than a year or half a year, the two bandits She Chongming and An Bangyan will surely be bound and captured.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm.\" Tianqi nodded and said coldly, \"When the time comes, no matter what the Grand Secretariat says, I will immediately transfer Marshal Huang back. I want him to personally capture that fickle and treacherous Hong Tai and bring him to the capital, then have him sliced to death by a thousand cuts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhongxian's voice became somewhat hesitant, but at this critical juncture he dared not say too much: \"Your, Your Majesty...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Under heaven, only Marshal Huang puts my mind most at ease, and only Marshal Huang will not betray me.\" Tianqi gazed unblinkingly toward the southwest, as if his sight could cross these thousands upon thousands of li of space and reach the side of his trusted and beloved general. Tianqi sighed again. \"The Eastern Depot, on the other hand, keeps its eyes fixed on Marshal Huang all day without letting up. Hmph. Once Marshal Huang has pacified the southwestern rebellion, I will insist on backing him up. That Grand Pacification Loan that Marshal Huang used for military funds — I will also repay it on his behalf.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twenty-ninth day of the seventh month. Guizhou, Guiyang Prefecture, Guiyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The She-An Rebellion spread across the four provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, with Guizhou hit hardest. Guiyang had suffered multiple attacks from the An family of Shuixi. In the second year of Tianqi, the rebel army besieged Guiyang for as long as ten months. The soldiers and civilians within the city ran out of food, to the point that they ate human flesh. Many Guizhou officials committed suicide or killed their wives and daughters to feed the troops. The number of those who perished in Guiyang was counted in the hundreds of thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the years, the soldiers and civilians of Guizhou and the An family of Shuixi had forged a blood feud of deep hatred. An Bangyan still watched Guiyang covetously from nearby. Just last year, the rebel army had attacked Weiqing, less than fifty li from Guiyang. Had the government forces not resisted effectively, it would nearly have resulted in a second siege of Guiyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ming army had just driven the rebels out of all of Yunnan, and now the focal point of the She-An Rebellion shifted back to An Bangyan's stronghold — Shuixi. At this moment, Huang Shi's own three battalions were concentrating toward Guiyang; a hundred li northwest from here lay the Shuixi region of Guizhou, and Shuixi City was a hundred and seventy li from Guiyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never thought our Firefighting Battalion would still be the first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Xin reported to Huang Shi: He Dingyuan's Rock Battalion was rushing over at full speed, but they still needed three days to reach Guiyang. The Vanguard Battalion, coming upriver, could not arrive for a while either, though they would also reach the area around the fifth of the eighth month. Zhang Heming had already ordered a barracks built for the Funing Army inside the city; he believed it would be far too wasteful not to station such an elite force inside Guiyang city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the seventh month by the lunar calendar, and the weather in Guiyang these days was very pleasant. The medicinal herbs Huang Shi had ordered, such as sweet wormwood, had long since been transported here, and Hu Qingbai had also rushed to Guiyang well beforehand. The barracks built for the Funing Army had all been inspected by Surgeon Hu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resting for a day on the outskirts of Guiyang yesterday, Huang Shi led his subordinates as they donned their full and orderly battle dress. These uniforms and armor had all been shipped via the Yangtze waterway and had been kept in the barracks inside Guiyang city along with the Funing Army's advance party. Yesterday, Zhang Heming sent men to help Huang Shi transport them out from the city again. Zhang Heming was determined to have Huang Shi's troops enter Guiyang city in full armor to overawe the rebels and the Guizhou chieftains, which happened to coincide perfectly with Huang Shi's own thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Firefighting Battalion had already formed up into columns in silence; nearly three months of hurried marching had finally reached its end. Huang Shi was clad in gleaming armor, and his helmet was polished so brightly it could reflect a man's image. He looked at his subordinates, each one brimming with energy. This army did not look in the slightest like men who had trudged nearly three thousand li on foot over the past few months: \"Truly worthy sons of my Huang Shi. Let the people of Guiyang cheer for our army just as the people of the capital did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Xin stood right beside Huang Shi. Hearing this, he smiled and said, \"My lord, in two months you have led the troops across three thousand li of mountains and rivers. His Excellency Zhang and the people of Guiyang all call you the Flying General, and our Funing Army the Divine Marching Army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a slight pause, Ouyang Xin added, \"My lord, I heard that some days ago, once it was known that our Funing Army would enter the city within these few days, the common people from the surrounding areas have been flocking to Guiyang in droves, just to catch a glimpse of your lordship's and our Funing Army's splendid bearing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi laughed heartily. The soldiers and civilians of the four southwestern provinces had suffered bitterly at An Bangyan's hands; many commoners had lost family members to his rebellion and had long hated She Chongming and An Bangyan to the marrow of their bones. Upon hearing that the world-renowned Huang Shi was coming to suppress the rebellion, they rushed to spread the word, yearning daily for Huang Shi's arrival. After entering Guizhou, an endless stream of merchants and civilians came of their own accord every day to reward the troops. Along the way, the Firefighting Battalion also saw many children wearing white feathers on their heads, playing war games about Huang Shi suppressing the rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one hundred eighty thousand rebel-suppression troops of the four provinces, upon hearing that Huang Shi was leading his own crack forces here, also experienced a great boost in morale. Days ago, when Zhang Heming learned that Huang Shi was about to arrive, he not only came personally to Guiyang to welcome Huang Shi, but also ordered that a gazette be issued to the Ming armies of the four provinces. It was said that after the gazette was issued, the Guiyang garrison erupted in a boil of excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now that my lord has come, the doomsday of those two villains, She Chongming and An Bangyan, is at hand!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Xin's tone, brimming with confidence, made Huang Shi nod repeatedly as he listened. He looked at the iron-hard, heroic army before him; the officers and soldiers all wore solemn expressions, gripping their weapons and banners without moving a muscle. Huang Shi turned to face the direction of Guiyang and, in high, spirited fervor, shouted, \"Advance! Beat our drums with thunderous force!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",7273,"2026-06-04T07:54:54.057Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","381aff79d76a63d954f3e7bc229faa527233c42c8708fe1afffbd8bf1a272bf1","stealing-ming-chapter-293","stealing-ming-chapter-291",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]