Chapter 293: Section Fifty: Reconnaissance

On the twenty-ninth day of the seventh month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Huang Shi led the Firefighting Battalion into Guiyang City. This entry ceremony was even more solemn than the one in Beijing. The military instruments the Firefighting Battalion had developed so far, besides drums, also included flutes and brass horns, and now they were right behind Huang Shi. The Firefighting Battalion also had a dedicated commander who, following a set rhythm, waved the ceremonial baton in his hand up and down, directing the musicians who followed close behind.

As the entire battalion's officers and soldiers marched mightily through the gates of Guiyang to the sound of military music, they were flanked on both sides by cheering and jubilant commoners of the southwest. By now, the news that Huang Shi had led his troops from Fujian in less than three months had already spread throughout the city. Historically, when Zhejiang troops were transferred from the south to Liaodong, even with the support of the Grand Canal it took over half a year, and the powerful southwestern White Rod Army took nearly three years to reach the north. To the officials and commoners, the Firefighting Battalion's march this time truly felt as if they had flown here on wings. Of course, they did not know that just for this single Firefighting Battalion, Huang Shi had spent tens of thousands of silver taels.

Those with knowledge understood that in the past, a military transfer of such distance, even for elite troops, would take about a year; and for the common folk, a few thousand li away was practically another world. Most people of this era simply could not imagine such a journey, so as word spread from mouth to mouth, Huang Shi's troops were described in increasingly miraculous terms.

But whether for those who had a concept of it or those who did not, they all vaguely realized one thing: an army's marching speed was closely related to its level of elite training. From ancient times to the present, it seems there have rarely been mobs capable of maintaining formation and executing a forced march. Conversely, a force that could sustain high-speed marching has never been heard of as being unable to fight.

Before entering Guiyang, Huang Shi still remembered the situation he had encountered last time in Beijing. When facing the Firefighting Battalion marching in formation, the commoners watching had also appeared very tense and unaccustomed. Back then, as the Dongjiang Army advanced, the people of Beijing City gradually lost their clamor, merely watching in silence this iron army the likes of which they had never seen before. Quite a few people had also cautiously kept their distance.

So this time, Huang Shi had made arrangements for this in advance. He strode at the very front of the column the entire time. Shortly after entering the city gate, Huang Shi slowly raised his right arm until it was parallel with his upper body, then took a deep breath. While waving his fist, he led the entire army in shouting in unison:

"Suppress the bandits and pacify the people!"

"Suppress the bandits and pacify the people!"

"Suppress the bandits and pacify the people!"

The entire battalion's officers and soldiers, just as they had rehearsed beforehand, marched forward in step while continuously shouting the slogan in Mandarin at the top of their lungs...

Long before they reached the Guiyang government office, the Firefighting Battalion and Huang Shi were once again surrounded by enthusiastic commoners. Compared to their experience last time in Beijing, this time it was even more intense. For example, the unlucky Company Commander Li Gen — now he was a Company Commander — got his nose smashed again, this time by a string of copper coins thrown at him.

After finally squeezing through the crowd and returning to the military camp, Wang Qinian complained while taking off his armor: "I really can't stand these commoners anymore. Look at how they squeezed me into this puddle of sweat, and they even tore off a piece of the tiger skin on my helmet."

"These are righteous people, righteous people," Zhang Chengye, standing nearby, said with a smile. "Do you not want that brevet rank of Battalion Commander anymore?"

"Of course they are righteous people. That's what I've always said." Wang Qinian changed into his military uniform as fast as he could. The few of them had agreed early on to go drinking in the city. Before leaving, Wang Qinian first patted down his neatly arranged uniform again, then untied the strap of his helmet and retied it, pulling it tight under his chin. "What I mean is, in the entire first half of my life, I've never seen so many righteous people."

As Zhang Chengye walked out shoulder to shoulder with Wang Qinian, he also sighed with deep emotion: "In truth, our Great Ming is full of righteous people everywhere. It's just that they don't often encounter our Firefighting Battalion."

While the officers and soldiers of the Firefighting Battalion went off in groups to drink in Guiyang City, Huang Shi was entering the Guiyang Prefectural government office with two of his internal guards. By now, Hong Antong could no longer guard him at all times, because Hong Antong's work had become very heavy, especially at this critical moment. To maintain military discipline, the internal guards had all been dispersed into the city, and the head of the military police naturally had to go attend to his own affairs.

Huang Shi, however, had grown accustomed to such scenes. In his previous life, he had seen such fervent spectacles many times — who says our nation is numb? They simply have not encountered a true sentiment moving enough to stir them.

Inside the government office, Zhang Heming and Wu Mu were waiting for Huang Shi.

Huang Shi first paid his respects to the venerable Zhang Heming, and Zhang Heming returned the courtesy and exchanged pleasantries. Huang Shi then greeted Wu Mu, whom he had not seen for several months: "Eunuch Wu, your journey all the way to Guiyang must have been truly arduous."

Wu Mu placed a hand on his chest and smiled: "Commander Huang jests. How could I have endured any hardship? I began traveling by boat from Nanchang. It is Commander Huang who has endured the true hardship."

After Huang Shi was seated, Zhang Heming cleared his throat and directly broached the main topic: "Everything succeeds when planned in advance and fails when not. Before Commander Huang arrived in Guiyang, this old man and Eunuch Wu had already discussed the issue of pacifying the chaos in the southwest. This old man is the Southwest Regional Commander appointed by His Majesty, and I dare not fail to share the sovereign's burdens. These two hundred thousand officers and men shall be under this old man's unified command; Eunuch Wu is the Grand Army Supervisor dispatched by the imperial court, therefore the provisions, fodder, and supplies for the four provinces shall be allocated and distributed by Eunuch Wu."

As Zhang Heming spoke, he looked over toward Wu Mu. Wu Mu, having naturally already discussed and agreed upon this with Zhang Heming, immediately nodded with a smile and said: "Very well. I shall certainly do my utmost and will never allow the soldiers on the front lines to suffer from hunger or cold."

After Zhang Heming and Wu Mu had divided between themselves the authority over strategic decision-making and logistics supply, they then looked toward Huang Shi: "Commander Huang, as Provincial Military Commander overseeing the military affairs of four provinces, the task of defeating the enemy, quelling the rebellion, and pacifying the people rests entirely upon your martial might."

After speaking, Zhang Heming even cupped his hands in salute toward Huang Shi. Huang Shi hurriedly rose from his seat and modestly declined: "I dare not accept such praise. My lord Zhang's words are too weighty. This is merely my duty."

Huang Shi had long known that Zhang Heming and Wu Mu would devise such a command structure. Ever since the Office of the Grand Regional Commander was closed, the Great Ming's military command had basically followed this framework. The supervising civil official was responsible for the grand overall strategy, the deployment of troops, and deciding at what time, at what place, and against which enemy to fight — all were decided by the civil official; the supervising eunuch was responsible for the entire army's provisions and fodder supply, the distribution of military pay, and the transport and allocation of various supplies and weapons; while the specific tasks of assaulting cities, defending, deploying troops in formation, and defeating the enemy in the field were all the work of the military officers.

Huang Shi had always found this system devised by the civil officials to be quite ingenious. If a battle was won, the primary credit naturally went to the civil official responsible for strategy. Since ancient times, China has highly emphasized the decisive role of strategy, especially among civil officials; as the saying goes, man is iron and food is steel, a meal missed brings hunger, so after a victory the supervising eunuch's credit would naturally not be small either; while the military officer's credit was calculated solely based on the number of heads taken.

And if the battle was lost, then at that moment the civil official would not acknowledge the immense guiding significance of strategy. The blame for the defeat would certainly be borne by the military officer, because the military officer was the one who specifically commanded the course of the battle — it must have been these coarse soldiers who botched a perfectly good plan. If the military officer died in battle, the civil official could generally shift the blame onto the supervising eunuch — it must have been these castrated wretches who embezzled the armor and military pay, or else, out of their instinctive malice, they failed to issue sufficient provisions to the army, leading to the defeat.

What made Huang Shi very happy, however, was that the person responsible for logistics supply was Wu Mu. This way, the Funing Army's supplies would certainly be fully guaranteed. It was impossible for Wu Mu not to embezzle at all, because that would completely defy the unwritten rules of the Great Ming. Not only did the eunuch system demand its share, but the civil official system was also waiting for Wu Mu to distribute. But as long as Wu Mu sat in this position, Huang Shi had no need to worry that he would be shorted on his own supplies. Even if Wu Mu embezzled, he would only embezzle from the other generals.

Although Wu Mu's workload was not as heavy as Huang Shi's, his share of the work was actually not easy either. With the vast amounts of provisions, coordinated military funds, and materiel for the two hundred thousand Ming troops across four provinces, who knew how many people were waiting to carve up this cake. Wu Mu, responsible for distributing the cake, not only had to ensure that most civil officials and military officers were satisfied with their portions, but also had to control them so they did not eat too much, to the point of completely devouring and collapsing the entire army.

The easiest job naturally belonged to none other than Zhang Heming. Fighting the war was naturally Huang Shi's desperate struggle, and when Wu Mu embezzled, he certainly would not dare to short Zhang Heming's own large slice of the cake. Zhang Heming's sole job was to sit safely within Guiyang City, look at a map... or perhaps without even looking at a map, devise various strategic plans, and then hand them to Huang Shi to execute.

Now, Zhang Heming, Wu Mu, and Huang Shi, these three men, were following the tradition of the Great Ming army to form a new triumvirate to quell the She-An Rebellion. Hmm, a more apt analogy might not be a triumvirate, but rather one horse, one cart driver, and one guide. Even if the guide pointed toward a cliff, the first to fall would be the horse, while the latter two would still have a chance to jump off the cart.

After the guide, Zhang Heming, had finished allocating the work, he began to inquire about the horse's opinion: "Commander Huang, in your view, how should this She-An Rebellion be quelled?"

As this matter concerned the horse's own life and death, Huang Shi naturally braced his spirits and laid out all the ideas he had repeatedly pondered along the journey: "Venerable Zhang, in my humble opinion, the two rebels She Chongming and An Bangyan support each other like horns. In the past, when government troops attacked the Yongning rebel, An Bangyan would either muster all his forces from Shuixi to come to his aid, or harass the government troops' rear. If government troops besieged the Shuixi rebel, She Chongming would inevitably strike out in all directions, striving to pin down the imperial forces for the Shuixi rebel and transport provisions and fodder into Shuixi. Thus, although the imperial forces have been stationed here for several years, their efforts have been in vain."

Huang Shi paused and observed Zhang Heming's expression. He saw the venerable Zhang immediately sink into contemplation, probably recalling the course of past campaigns. After a long while, Zhang Heming's divine gaze sharpened, and he nodded: "Commander Huang remembers correctly. This coincides with this old man's own views."

Reaching a strategic consensus with Zhang Heming was the first step in discussing strategic issues. Seeing that the first hurdle had been passed, Huang Shi took a breath and began the second round of breaking through: "Venerable Zhang, you flatter me. I am dull-witted and have some wild thoughts. I venture to ask for your guidance."

Zhang Heming stroked his beard and smiled, seemingly fairly satisfied with Huang Shi's performance: "Today is precisely for frank and open discussion of military affairs. Commander Huang, please speak freely."

"Venerable Zhang, with your clear insight, if the government troops can first eliminate either the Shuixi or Yongning rebel faction, then the remaining one need not be a concern. This is the strategy of divide and rule. Therefore, I believe that our Great Ming's imperial forces could advance via Bozhou (Zunyi), then force a crossing of the Chishui River, recover the Chishui Guard, and sever north from south. Then, Venerable Zhang, if you wish to strike Shuixi first, you can strike Shuixi; if you wish to destroy Yongning first, you can destroy Yongning. What is your opinion?"

Zhang Heming's eyes widened, and he turned and called out: "Bring the map."

After his attendants brought the map over, Huang Shi carefully explained his view to Zhang Heming and Wu Mu: "Military operations in the southwest depend entirely on provisions and fodder. If the supply route is not smooth, even a million mighty soldiers can accomplish nothing. Therefore, I intend to use Bozhou as the main supply depot. From there, our army can rely on the Xiang River to transport grain and troops by water, which is extremely convenient."

Westward from Zunyi, one can advance by both water and land along the Chishui River straight to the Chishui Guard. This place is located on the north bank of the Chishui River, like a natural moat. Its shape resembles a sharp knife thrust into the junction of the rebel forces, precisely cutting the Shuixi region and the Yongning region in two.

"Venerable Zhang, Eunuch Wu, our Great Ming has surrounded the two rebels of Shuixi and Yongning on all sides. This is the majestic momentum of the imperial forces. If the rebels do not move, all is well; if they do, they will inevitably be attacked from all directions. But the two rebels are positioned within, so no matter from how many directions the imperial forces attack, they can rely on the terrain to delay for time, while first concentrating their troops to counterattack on one front, making that single imperial force outnumbered..."

What Huang Shi was describing was essentially the respective advantages of strategic encirclement and interior-line operations. Much like the Great Ming's war against the Later Jin, the She Chongming and An Bangyan alliance was also using their combat superiority to conduct continuous interior-line operations, repeatedly neutralizing the Great Ming's strangulation attempts from all sides. And in this era, due to the limitations of communication, coordination across a strategic encirclement net was always very problematic. If one's combat strength was inferior, it was easy to be repeatedly defeated in detail by an enemy operating on interior lines.

"If our Great Ming's imperial forces can hold the Chishui Guard, then our Great Ming will be on the interior, while the two rebels She Chongming and An Bangyan will instead be on the exterior. No matter how they scurry about, they will be seen clearly from the Chishui Guard. Venerable Zhang could then choose one to eliminate first. The remaining rebel would then be unable to clap with one hand alone."

After Huang Shi finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Heming full of hope, awaiting his final decision.

From the perspective of a military officer, Huang Shi was bound to offer the best plan in his mind, because this concerned his own life or death. But Zhang Heming had more options. When a civil official accepted a military officer's view, it was called being open to advice, which naturally demonstrated his magnanimity, and if victorious, the primary credit would still be his. But even if he did not accept it, that was also showing great foresight, having wisely discovered the rash elements in the military officer's plan.

After lengthy consideration, Zhang Heming ultimately still shook his head: "Commander Huang's words are somewhat hasty and rash. This Chishui Guard penetrates deep into the heartland of Yongning and Shuixi. It is close to the rebels but far from us. If we first mobilize a large army straight to Bozhou, the two rebels will surely be able to start later but arrive first. Once the rebel army fortifies Chishui, raising troops to Bozhou would merely be exhausting our forces in vain. If we send an elite force to dash straight for Chishui, even if they succeed temporarily, they will be caught in a pincer attack from north and south by the two rebels. By the time our main army reaches Bozhou, the vanguard will likely have met a grim fate!"

Huang Shi had long prepared his counter-argument, so as soon as Zhang Heming finished speaking, he added: "Venerable Zhang, I have three elite battalions under my command, all filled with heroes and men of valor. In my humble opinion, we could dispatch one battalion to dash straight for Chishui, then use the Chishui River to stockpile provisions and fodder for them. They will certainly be able to withstand large forces of rebel troops until the main imperial force arrives."

After listening to Huang Shi's words, Zhang Heming pondered for another long while, then shook his head again: "The art of war says: first make oneself invincible, that lies with me; later await the enemy's vulnerability, that lies with the enemy. Now, with the four provinces of our Great Ming cooperating, two hundred thousand imperial troops have surrounded the two rebels of Shuixi and Yongning so tightly that not a drop of water can leak through. This is precisely the state of being invincible. At present, we need only wait patiently for the two rebels to reveal a weakness, and that will be the time when the enemy can be defeated."

"Venerable Zhang, She Chongming and An Bangyan are both native officials, and they have many marriage ties with the chieftains of the four provinces. Who knows how many local rebels are secretly selling them provisions and fodder. If this protracted siege continues, when will it ever end?" Huang Shi spoke diplomatically, but in reality, he felt this encirclement net was leaking from all sides. With such a vast area of rebel activity, two hundred thousand Ming troops simply could not cover it all, not to mention that the loyalties of many among these Ming troops were highly questionable.

As for Zhang Heming's "invincibility lies with me, victory lies with the enemy," Huang Shi disagreed even more. The two hundred thousand Ming troops were spread out in a single line, meaning this circular encirclement net was riddled with weak points everywhere. The situation here was the same as that faced against the Later Jin: because She Chongming and An Bangyan were threatened from all sides, they had no time to develop in any single direction. But if the two armies remained in a long-term standoff, there was always the possibility that the enemy could burst out and raid at any moment.

Most fundamentally, Zhang Heming's entire strategy was to do nothing, simply sitting and waiting for the opponent to make a fatal mistake. In Huang Shi's view, this was nothing but watching and fattening the enemy. Not to mention whether you could hold when the enemy, having rested and built up strength, charged out — just sitting so loosely and laxly in Guiyang City, maintaining no military pressure whatsoever, how could the opponent possibly reveal a weakness?

At this moment, Zhang Heming was still looking down at the map, practically sprawled over the table. Wu Mu, wanting to help Huang Shi by saying a few words, muttered from the side: "I wonder what the water volume of the Xiang River is like, and what the water volume of the Chishui River is like. How many troops and horses can they actually support in combat?"

Huang Shi glanced gratefully at Wu Mu and said to Zhang Heming, who was still observing the map: "To inform Eunuch Wu, the Xiang River has a very large water volume, sufficient to stockpile within a month the supplies needed for tens of thousands of troops. And the Chishui River's water volume is also not small, enough to support at least three thousand men in combat."

Wu Mu said loudly: "Then I am at ease."

Zhang Heming was still frowning and staring intently at the Chishui Guard on the map, his long snow-white beard trailing onto the tabletop. After a very, very long time, Zhang Heming raised his head and said with a serious expression: "In the end, it is courting risk. Not appropriate, not appropriate."

Seeing that Huang Shi was about to argue again, Zhang Heming waved his hand: "This old man understands Commander Huang's heart in serving the country very well. But in this old man's opinion, if we must attack the Chishui Guard, it would be best to first mass a large army at Bozhou, gather provisions and fodder, and then overcome it in one stroke."

"Venerable Zhang, gathering the government troops of four provinces at Bozhou will inevitably take a long time, at least three months or more. Yet Yongning and Shuixi are both only a few days' distance from the Chishui Guard. By the time the government troops are massed at Bozhou, the rebel defenses at Chishui will already be solid. Taking Chishui then would likely be no easy task."

"Then that will depend on Commander Huang's martial valor. If even Commander Huang cannot take the Chishui Guard, then I fear no one in this world could ever take it."

"Venerable Zhang, the art of war speaks of avoiding the strong and striking the weak. At present, our Great Ming's government troops are massed at places like Guiyang and Weiqing, and An Bangyan's main force is drawn here, while She Chongming is also pinned down in the northwest by the Sichuan and Yunnan armies. I still believe that now, using a surprise force to strike straight for Chishui, we can certainly succeed. Even if the rebel troops are alarmed and rush back to Chishui, it would take at least ten days or more. By then, our army's fortifications will be solid, provisions and fodder ample, and we can expect certain victory."

"Where in the world is there such a thing as certain victory? Commander Huang speaks too grandly."

"Elder Zhang, you are right to reproach me. I spoke with reckless arrogance. But in ten attempts, I would still win nine."

"It is still not a flawless plan!" Zhang Heming slowly sat back down in his chair and shook his head vigorously. "To make ourselves invincible and then await the enemy's vulnerability — that is the true and proper path."

"Elder Zhang..."

"Enough." Zhang Heming cut off Huang Shi's urgent defense, unhurried and unruffled, and lectured him with earnest gravity: "General Huang, it is not that this old minister is flaunting his seniority. It is truly that you, General Huang, are still too young, and young men tend toward frivolity. Ah, even if you come to resent this old man for it, General Huang, war is a perilous affair and truly cannot be rushed."

Huang Shi puffed his cheeks, then finally bowed deeply from the waist: "Many thanks for Elder Zhang's guidance. It has opened this humble officer's eyes."

……

In the seventh month of the seventh year of Tianqi, a censor of the Ming court impeached Yuan Chonghuan, charging that he "failed to relieve Korea before and failed to relieve Jinzhou after, halting his troops without fighting, his spirit sunk and impossible to rally." The Grand Secretariat likewise deemed Yuan Chonghuan's "failure to relieve Jinzhou as sunken spirit." Yuan Chonghuan thereupon requested to resign his post as Provincial Governor of Liaodong. Tianqi ordered a halt to further investigation of Yuan Chonghuan's responsibilities during his tenure, and, following the precedent for officials retiring to their hometowns, granted Yuan Chonghuan the retirement stipend due a Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. Thus the aftershocks of the Ning-Jin campaign quietly subsided without drawing notice.

Subsequently, Yan Mingtai, Minister of War of the Great Ming, began personally overseeing Liaodong affairs. Yan Mingtai immediately dispatched envoys to pacify the various Mongol tribes, assuring them that the Great Ming would absolutely never negotiate peace with the Later Jin.

After receiving the Great Ming's repeated assurances, the Mongol tribes ultimately chose to trust in the Great Ming's consistent state policy. The Kharchin Mongols had already openly allied with the Later Jin and exchanged sworn oaths. But after receiving Yan Mingtai's assurances, they sent envoys to Hong Taiji declaring the alliance void, and immediately joined forces with the Bayan Mongols to attack Liaobei and the Khorchin Mongols. The Later Jin's northern frontier, which had been quiet for a mere six months, was finally plunged once more into the flames of war.

……

On the fifth day of the eighth month, both the Panshi Battalion and the Xuanfeng Battalion reached Guiyang. At the same time, Yangtze River shipping also delivered some of the weapons that Funing Garrison had produced over a month earlier.

Huang Shi picked up a metal tube from a chest, pulled it out to its full length with a swift motion, then closed one eye and placed the metal tube before the other. Holding it with both hands, he gently adjusted the tube's length while slowly turning his body, taking in all the surrounding scenery.

"Very good." Huang Shi lowered the metal tube from his eye and handed it to He Dingyuan at his side, while signaling Jia Minghe and the others to each take one from the chest. "This object is called a telescope."

Huang Shi personally taught them one by one how to use the telescope, letting his subordinates try viewing the surrounding scenery with it. "If you feel the view is unclear, gently pull it longer or push it shorter until you can clearly see whatever you wish to see."

He Dingyuan's mouth hung slightly open. He kept his left eye squeezed tightly shut and stared through the telescope without a word. After watching for a while, He Dingyuan suddenly thrust his right hand forward to grab at the empty air before him... Unsurprisingly, his grasp caught nothing. After lowering the telescope with his other hand, he looked down at the hand that had grasped at nothing, which still hung clenched in a fist in midair. "It truly seems as if it is right before one's eyes — those mountains, the trees, even the little birds. As if they were within arm's reach."

The others also lowered their telescopes one after another, their faces likewise full of astonishment. Pu Guanshui, the deputy commander of the Xuanfeng Battalion, was the first to speak: "Grand Commander, this object is truly a supreme instrument of war. It is worth several hundred scouts!"

"Exactly, I see it the same way." Jia Minghe raised his telescope to look again as he spoke, clicking his tongue in praise. "In the past, at such a distance, whether there were men in the woods or thickets was utterly invisible. And if scouts drew near, the bandit soldiers might shrink back into the thickets. One moment of carelessness and they would go undetected. Now, with this object, enemy soldiers simply have no place to hide."

"Indeed, unless they stay hidden in the grass the whole time — but then they wouldn't be able to see anything either." Hearing Jia Minghe's words, He Dingyuan raised his telescope again. After looking at the tree line, he turned to look at his own army banners. "Grand Commander, with this telescope, our army's flag signals can also reach several li away. It truly is a fine thing."

"Alright, put the telescopes back into the chests for now." At Huang Shi's command, his subordinates placed the equipment in their hands back inside. This time, Funing Garrison had shipped a total of ten telescopes to Huang Shi. He had not yet decided how to allocate these precious supplies, but the use of one of them was beyond question.

Besides the telescopes sent from the rear, Huang Shi had also received a number of other chests. But he was in a hurry to attend to business now, so he would have to wait until he returned to open them.

The day before yesterday, after the Xuanfeng Battalion arrived, Zhang Heming had convened another meeting of the three commanders, but he still wanted to concentrate Huang Shi's three battalions at Guiyang to ensure absolute safety. According to Zhang Heming, with Huang Shi's arrival, the rebel forces before Weiqing had increased again, thus the pressure on Guiyang had grown greater. A fierce general like Huang Shi naturally still needed to remain at Guiyang to guard against enemy raids.

But in Huang Shi's view, this was simply the opponent's reactive behavior, provoked by the arrival of his main army. So he once again proposed a surprise attack on the Chishui garrison, to cut the rebels apart from the center in one stroke while their attention was drawn to the northern and southern flanks.

At the previous meeting, due to Huang Shi's repeated insistence, Zhang Heming seemed to have been slightly swayed. He suggested convening the main Ming generals to discuss the matter, but Huang Shi firmly opposed this idea. Among the Ming armies massed in the southwest were far too many tusi commanders. Huang Shi had always harbored doubts about their loyalty. In past operations, instances of tusi troops defecting mid-battle had occurred repeatedly, and Huang Shi believed there were no small number of people secretly passing intelligence to An Bangyan.

After finishing his official duties, Huang Shi came again to pay a visit to Minister Zhang Heming, carrying in his hand a telescope of the finest quality. This gift appeared to be very well received. Zhang Heming was utterly captivated by the telescope, standing in the courtyard and looking through it again and again with keen interest, leaving Huang Shi waiting to the side for a long while.

After lowering the telescope, Zhang Heming let out a sincere sigh: "The red-haired barbarians do have quite a few good things, well worth our Great Ming learning from."

Then the old man Zhang lowered his head and fiddled with the telescope in his hands for a moment, before suddenly looking up and asking urgently: "Did General Huang buy this from the red-haired barbarians, or was it produced by us?"

"In answer to Elder Zhang, it was this humble officer..." Huang Shi briefly introduced the man named Desmond, telling Zhang Heming that this Dutchman had already been entered into the Great Ming's military registers, and that he was merely a technical advisor in Funing Garrison. The telescope, from its lenses to its casing, had all been manufactured by the craftsmen of Funing Garrison.

"Very good. Such a supreme instrument of war ultimately cannot be controlled by the hands of the red-haired barbarians. In this old man's view, this telescope ought to be promoted across all the Great Ming's military garrisons. Only when the Ministry of Works in both capitals and every military garrison can manufacture it will this telescope truly become a weapon of our Great Ming."

Zhang Heming pondered for a moment, then added: "General Huang, this old man has seen the red-barbarian cannons. Those too are astonishingly powerful. As the commander in Min, you should ordinarily send men often to spy on the red-haired barbarians, to see what other fine things they have. Whether we buy them or learn them, in all cases they must become our Great Ming's."

"In answer to Elder Zhang, this humble officer's garrison has already recruited several men from the Far West. Besides this telescope, we also have cannon-founders, and Funing Garrison has also learned some of the techniques for manufacturing red-barbarian cannons..." Once battle was joined, Zhang Heming would inevitably discover this sooner or later, so Huang Shi had no need to conceal it, and he also spoke of the circumstances of Deng Ken and the others.

Zhang Heming stroked his beard and smiled. "Adopting others' strengths to remedy one's own weaknesses has been the highest strategy since ancient times. The barbarians, too, can serve to polish the jade of our Huaxia. That General Huang, who has spent his life fighting barbarians, can possess such breadth of mind is truly remarkable. This old man is deeply gratified."

"Elder Zhang, you praise me too highly."

After Huang Shi's modest demurral, a moment of silence fell between the two men. Zhang Heming looked Huang Shi up and down a few more times, then walked off on his own toward the pavilion in the rear courtyard. "General Huang, please follow this old man. I have some words from the heart I wish to share with you."

Once they were alone with no one around, Zhang Heming asked plainly: "What does General Huang think of Wang Huazhen?"

Huang Shi was taken aback, then bowed his head and replied: "Elder Zhang, this humble officer is a minister of the state. If this question is posed by Elder Zhang in your capacity as Minister of War, I shall naturally speak frankly. But if Elder Zhang asks in private, this humble officer once received the grace of Lord Wang, and is unwilling to speak of his faults."

Zhang Heming nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. Only after a long while did he sigh softly: "Well said." Then Zhang Heming suddenly raised his voice again: "Then what does General Huang think of Sun Chengzong?"

Huang Shi again bowed with clasped hands and answered in a deep voice: "In answer to Elder Zhang, Grand Secretary Sun is broad-minded, a true gentleman, a great man. This humble officer also once received the grace of Grand Secretary Sun's recognition and patronage, and dares not forget it for a single day."

Zhang Heming smiled faintly upon hearing this, as if Huang Shi's answer was entirely within his expectations. He lifted his official robes and sat down on the long bench in the pavilion, smoothing his sleeves with a gesture. "Huang Shi, sit."

"Thank you, Elder Zhang."

"In the future, when you and I meet in private, there is no need to use the term 'my lord' anymore."

"Many thanks, Elder Zhang."

After Huang Shi sat down, Zhang Heming spoke in a calm tone: "Wang Huazhen was originally a man of talent. It is a pity he strayed onto the wrong path. Ah, it is truly heartbreaking. Indeed, it was Xiong Tingbi who ruined him. That Xiong Tingbi — even death would not expiate his crimes!"

Zhang Heming had been the presiding judge in the case of the disastrous defeat at Guangning back then. Just as Huang Shi was considering how to respond, Zhang Heming merely paused and then continued: "Back then, it was this old man who recommended Wang Huazhen. Although he failed the trust the state placed in him, his heart, devoted to the country, was indeed good. That he promoted you and Marshal Mao is proof enough of that."

"Elder Zhang speaks truly." Huang Shi lowered his head and answered quietly.

"Sun Chengzong was also recommended by this old man. Huang Shi —" Zhang Heming called out in a deep voice. Huang Shi raised his head at the sound. Zhang Heming was looking at him with solemn gravity. "Huang Shi, you are a man of our Donglin!"

"Elder Zhang speaks truly. This humble officer is, of course, a man of the Donglin."

"This old man has been watching you for a long time. That both you and Marshal Mao have not forgotten your roots and resolutely refused to build shrines to the eunuch Wei — that is very good. It shows that your nature is pure and good, both loyal and righteous." Zhang Heming himself absolutely refused to build living shrines to Wei Zhongxian, and he also did everything he could to stop those around him from building shrines to Wei Zhongxian. As for a man in his seventies, Wei Zhongxian held no leverage over him and saw no need to fight to the death with an old man who already had one foot in the grave, so he let him be.

"In the Nanjing minting injustice case, the eunuch faction sought once again to use the opportunity to frame loyal and good men. Although this old man fought them to the death, I still felt the loneliness of standing alone against many. That you, Huang Shi, could step forward at that time also moved this old man deeply."

"Elder Zhang truly overpraises me." Huang Shi felt sweat about to break out on his forehead. Being praised for refusing to build living shrines to Wei Zhongxian he felt was somewhat reasonable. But the Nanjing minting case had never been any kind of injustice from start to finish. Those coins of the Donglin Party had led to widespread refusal by the common people of the south to accept them, severely damaging the state's credit. Moreover, Huang Shi had seen those coins himself — their quality was truly wretched beyond all description.

He remembered that at the time, Liu Qingyang had remarked to Huang Shi: These "genuine" coins were not entirely without merit. If the Donglin Party were allowed to continue minting them, they would surely drive all counterfeiters into bankruptcy and completely eradicate all fake coins in the Great Ming. And Zhang Heming's so-called "fighting to the death" proved nothing other than that he was an old-guard Donglin party hack who would fight to the bitter end.

In truth, what neither Huang Shi nor Liu Qingyang knew was that historically, after the Donglin Party regained power, the coinage of the Chongzhen reign would be the worst batch in the entire history of the Great Ming. The cast copper coins were said to be blacker than lead and thinner than paper. After successive serious incidents of refusal to accept them, the Donglin Party even employed the state's organs of violence to compel merchants to purchase the "genuine" coins, to the point that whenever word spread that the imperial court was minting coins again, the merchants of both capitals would swarm out of the cities in flight, only returning to conduct their business after the storm had passed.

"Huang Shi, your eagerness to achieve merit — this old man understands it very well. But the art of war says: An arrogant army is certain to be defeated. This old man's refusal to let you go into battle is also born of a heart that wishes to protect you."

"Elder Zhang speaks truly."

"The art of war says: Whose troops are better trained? Whose planning in the temple is more thorough? From these I know victory and defeat. Huang Shi, your troops are excellently trained, but you are too impetuous and rash. Therefore, on the matter of temple planning, this old man must calculate again, and calculate a third time!"

"Elder Zhang's insight is profound."

"The art of war says: He who is skilled in attack moves from above the nine heavens; he who is skilled in defense hides beneath the nine earths... Immovable as a mountain, moving like thunder! Therefore, Huang Shi, you must keep your composure and not act recklessly."

"Elder Zhang..."

"The art of war says:..."

"Elder..."

After lecturing Huang Shi for a good while, Zhang Heming drew a deep breath. "Huang Shi, if you can promise this old man three things, I will let you go forth to strike."

Huang Shi's spirits lifted, and he quickly raised his head and said, "Elder Zhang, please speak."

Zhang Heming extended one finger. "First, after the troops march out, you must not drink alcohol. Can you do this?"

Huang Shi first lowered his head in brief contemplation, then raised it with a hearty laugh and said, "Elder Zhang, rest assured, your subordinate can do it!"

Another finger rose. "Second, you must not greed for merit and advance rashly. Deliberate thrice before any action. Can you do this?"

"Your subordinate can!" Huang Shi nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.

Zhang Heming raised a third finger as well. "This last one you must listen to carefully as this old man speaks. I want you to first go to Bozhou, set up camp and fortify your base, first making yourself invincible; then send out multiple scouts, and you must confirm the enemy has no preparations before you move out — this is called 'later making victory possible in the enemy.' Can you accomplish this?"

"Elder Zhang's insight is profound. Your subordinate will certainly act accordingly." Huang Shi solemnly agreed in one breath.

Zhang Heming stroked his beard for a long while, still seeming somewhat uneasy, and so added further: "The Art of War says, the dead cannot be brought back to life, a fallen state cannot be restored to existence. Huang Shi, if you heed this old man's words, you will be absolutely safe. Mark this well."

Huang Shi rose and bowed deeply toward Zhang Heming, cupping his fists and saying in a clear voice: "Elder Zhang's words of gold and jade, your subordinate will engrave firmly in his heart. Once your subordinate reaches Bozhou, he will first scout, then scout again, repeatedly confirming the enemy is truly unprepared, before marching on Chishuihe."

"Good," Zhang Heming shouted, then stroked his beard and smiled. "Then you may go... but if the enemy offers no opening, Huang Shi, you must absolutely not advance rashly."

"Your subordinate obeys." Having finally extricated himself from Zhang Heming's endless rambling, Huang Shi truly felt even his breathing had become easier by several degrees.

After taking his leave from Zhang Heming, Huang Shi jogged all the way back to his own encampment, then immediately summoned his subordinates for an emergency military conference. Zhang Heming would consider deploying other Ming troops after receiving further reports from Huang Shi. Besides his own core forces, Zhang Heming had also drawn two battalions from Guiyang city and placed them under Huang Shi's command.

"Speed is the essence of war. Jia Minghe and the Vanguard Battalion will continue to rest. Tonight I will lead the Firefighting Battalion, the two Panshi Battalions, and the four thousand Guiyang government troops to Bozhou to construct the main camp, and at the same time request grain and fodder from Eunuch Wu. Once the first batch of supplies arrives, He Dingyuan will immediately lead the Panshi Battalion across the Chishui River to conduct large-scale reconnaissance by fire toward Chishuihe."