[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-295":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},1220912,1614,"Chapter 295: Section Fifty-Two: Contact","stealing-ming-chapter-295",295,"\u003Cp>On the twenty-second day of the eighth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, in the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since the eighth month began, the Emperor's health had been poor. This generous young man was utterly incapable of coping with the looming crisis of his rule, and so he sank into a severe depression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianqi felt that dismissing officials probably brought no benefit. After all, for over a hundred years, the candidates for the Great Ming's Grand Secretariat had always been selected by court recommendation, with the list then presented to the Emperor for approval. Generally, the Son of Heaven had only the right to approve or disapprove. Thus, Tianqi had long since given up any hope for the Grand Secretariat, yet forcefully changing this state of affairs went against his nature. Despairing, Tianqi had no recourse but to torment himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After their diagnosis, the Imperial Physicians informed the Empress and Wei Zhongxian: His Majesty's illness was of the heart; herbal decoctions would likely be of little use. It would be best to find something to cheer the Emperor, so that his body might slowly recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Zhongxian once suggested the Emperor do more carpentry to distract himself, but after the battle of Ning-Jin, even carpentry could not dispel the worry in Tianqi's heart, so he no longer wished to do it. Wei Zhongxian then racked his brains and arranged some theatrical performances, having the actors perform before the Emperor's sickbed. After watching them once with a faint smile, Tianqi said to Wei Zhongxian, \"Too noisy. Do not bring them in again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the fifteenth and sixteenth days of the eighth month, Tianqi had several times been too ill to rise from his bed. The attending Imperial Physicians and the Empress were all deeply worried for a time, and Wei Zhongxian, behind the scenes, wept until his eyes were red and swollen. The Emperor's weakness and night sweats grew ever more severe. To the inquiring physicians, he once poured out his misery: \"Whenever I think of state affairs, I am so tormented that I cannot sleep the whole night through. Sometimes, in a daze, I nearly drift off, but I am always jolted awake with a start. My whole body is drenched in cold sweat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the Emperor's health took a slight turn for the better. On the twentieth day of the eighth month, Tianqi regained some appetite and even drifted into sleep hazily a few times. Upon waking, some color had returned to Tianqi's face. To the Empress, who had not loosened her sash from her gown as she kept vigil by his bedside, he said: \"I dreamed that Marshal Huang had sent me another memorial of victory. I was standing once more atop the Gate of Great Ming, and before me was a sea of cheering commoners. Ah, I truly am growing impatient.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-fourth day of the eighth month, an urgent memorial, sent by three-thousand-li relay from Guiyang, reached the capital. Wei Zhongxian once again personally carried the memorial from the Directorate of Ceremonial and ran to Tianqi's bedchamber. In the memorial, Zhang Heming reported that Huang Shi had already reached Guiyang, and that the offensive against the southwestern rebels was about to commence. Tianqi, whose spirit had been utterly listless by this point, rose from his bed as if aided by divine power upon hearing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After verifying the date on the memorial, Tianqi's heart was greatly gladdened. To the attendants nearby, he lavishly praised Huang Shi's marching speed. That day, the young Emperor, for the first time in a long while, ate two bowls of rice. He also chatted happily with the Empress for a long time. Finally, he even remembered his carpentry shed and specially dispatched a few young eunuchs to tend it carefully, ensuring that the tools were absolutely not to be rained upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-fifth day, far in the southwest, in Guiyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Heming received Huang Shi's report. In the report, Huang Shi made no mention whatsoever of having once proposed a plan to strike directly out of Chishui Guard, as if he had completely forgotten the matter. From beginning to end, Huang Shi extolled Zhang Heming's great foresight with the utmost vigor, describing the entire plan as if it had been Zhang Heming's own idea. Moreover, he portrayed the surprise attack on Chishui Guard as the successful realization of Zhang Heming's brilliant stratagem, praising it profusely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, Huang Shi heavily emphasized that it was all thanks to the guidance of the venerable elder Zhang Heming, particularly his line of thought of first scouting and then advancing deep. This method not only perfectly preserved the concept of splitting the rebel army in two, but also greatly reduced the risk of ambush and counterattack—this was precisely what was meant by \"seeking ever greater perfection.\" After the Rock Battalion had scouted and taken Chishui Guard without alarm or danger, Huang Shi was so awed by Zhang Heming's strategic vision that he prostrated himself in admiration. He therefore stated that he was still adhering to the venerable elder Zhang Heming's steady style and was cautiously expanding the scope of reconnaissance and search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After extolling Zhang Heming as a rarity in heaven and a nonpareil on earth, Huang Shi enclosed with his letter the current military action plan—this was, of course, a separate letter. After seizing Chishui Guard, the middle section of the Chishui River was now under Ming army control, and the central breakthrough phase was complete. Currently, the Ming army was naturally beginning to develop toward both wings. The Firefighting Battalion and the Vanguard Battalion, which had initially been deployed on the flanks, were now both beginning reconnaissance advances. Huang Shi requested the venerable elder Zhang Heming to provide guidance on this plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Heming deliberated for a while, then wrote back instructing Huang Shi not to be greedy for merit and not to advance rashly. After he finished his reply and sent someone to deliver it immediately, Zhang Heming could no longer contain the smugness in his heart. He summoned his private secretaries and disciples and grandiosely proclaimed to them the contents of Huang Shi's letter—a military officer whose fame shook the entire realm, yet in his letter to him, Zhang Heming, his tone was as deferential as a schoolboy's, earnestly and apprehensively begging the old man to grant him guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That scoundrel Xiong Tingbi, back in the day, slandered this old man behind my back as a 'blockhead.' Hmph, ridiculous and overestimating himself. He even said that this old man's and Grand Secretary Ye's military strategies all came from plays and popular tales, only fit to be told to... to be told to women. Hmph, that scoundrel Xiong Tingbi is truly a disgrace to the scholarly class.\" For all these years, Zhang Heming had forbidden anyone from mentioning that grudge between him and Xiong Tingbi, but now he brought it up himself, and even expounded upon it at great length. Right and wrong were clear in the hearts of all; he, Zhang Heming, was not in the least afraid of the world's judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid a chorus of sycophantic flattery, Zhang Heming, still not fully satisfied, cheerfully summoned all the officials of Guiyang to his residence and recounted the whole thing again, from \"divide and rule\" all the way to \"think thrice before acting.\" Zhang Heming finally and thoroughly claimed this strategic plan as his own. In the end, however, he also highly praised Huang Shi's martial valor and his loyalty and righteousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Zhang Heming's account, he had been mulling over this plan in his mind for a long time, but previously, the old man had surveyed all the commanders of the southwest and had not found a single fierce general capable of executing this heart-stabbing strategy. It was only after Huang Shi arrived this time that Zhang Heming finally found a man to whom he could entrust this heavy responsibility. In conclusion, the venerable elder Zhang set the tone for his and Huang Shi's cooperation: \"Though this old man has a bellyful of stratagems, without Marshal Huang, no one could achieve this great merit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everyone had prostrated themselves in admiration, Zhang Heming also briefly touched upon a slight worry of his own: that under the current circumstances, with the situation looking so excellent, Huang Shi might become overzealous. Therefore, Zhang Heming had already sent someone to urge Huang Shi to act with caution and absolutely not to be greedy for merit: \"The art of war says: 'When a general is in the field, there are orders from the sovereign he may not accept.' But this old man is truly somewhat worried, so I have hastily sent someone to catch up with Marshal Huang. As long as Marshal Huang can take this old man's words to heart, then Chishui Guard will be in the palm of our army's hand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the ninth day of the ninth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, at noon, near the Pushi Station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pair of brothers from the Yongning Pacification Commission were sitting on the ground eating. The hundred or so people around them were all native subjects of Yongning. They were laboriously transporting grain supplies from Pushi Station to Moni Station. Ever since learning in the middle of last month that the Ming army had made a surprise attack on Chishui Guard, She Chongming had been frantically dispatching troops and generals, preparing to reinforce Chishui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the news that followed grew worse and worse. Spies from Sichuan and other places reported one after another that the scale of the Ming army's mobilization this time was unprecedentedly massive. In a mere twenty days, tens of thousands of Ming troops had received strict orders to advance toward Bozhou. Moreover, the man in command this time was said to be the Ming dynasty's foremost general, Huang Shi. The story of this man leading his troops on an eighty-day, three-thousand-li rapid march to fight in the southwest had spread to every corner of the four provinces. Setting aside the immense deterrent power implied by this marching speed, the sheer aggressive momentum of Huang Shi's arrival was evident at a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around the twenty-second day, just as She Chongming had barely managed to assemble his main army, dire news arrived from Chishui: several thousand Ming troops had appeared at Chishui Guard as if descending from the heavens. The fort had fallen in the blink of an eye, and at that moment, the first batch of reinforcements She Chongming had dispatched was still nearly two days' march from Chishui Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While utterly shocked by the Ming army's speed of movement, She Chongming, reasoning by common sense, estimated that this Ming force's strength must be very limited. He hurriedly led all his main forces toward Chishui, pressing on day and night, and finally reached Moni Station on the twenty-eighth day. By the time he arrived, She Chongming had already received several more reports in succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because She Chongming had repeatedly explained that Chishui Guard was a vital communication line between Shuixi and Yongning, and that its geographical importance could not be overemphasized, the reinforcements he sent immediately attempted to retake Chishui Guard, but they met with a head-on blow from the Ming army. The first attack lasted less than a quarter of an hour before collapsing completely, at the cost of over seventy men killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-seventh day, after the several waves of reinforcements She Chongming had sent in advance had rendezvoused and rested for a period, they launched another offensive against Chishui Guard. But this time, they collapsed even faster than before. The Ming army had actually already moved cannons into Chishui Guard. In the blink of an eye, over two hundred and seventy of the three thousand-plus rebels were shot dead, and over a hundred more were killed as they fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The successive crushing defeats had driven the morale of the Yongning rebel army extremely low. However, they were not entirely without gains. First, they learned that the Ming army garrisoning Chishui Guard was indeed not strong in numbers, probably around four or five thousand men. Second, they noticed that the Ming army had no desire to expand its depth, and seemed to be devoting all its strength to maintaining the supply line along the Chishui River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She Chongming therefore judged that the Ming army's supply capacity had reached its limit, and that they could not sustain more troops relying on a single river alone. This was quite reasonable, after all. The Ming army had come far too quickly, and it was very likely that their preparations were insufficient. But given time, the Ming army would certainly build more boats to transport supplies, and by then, it would probably no longer be a matter of just a few thousand men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the principle of estimating the enemy generously, She Chongming tentatively assumed there were five thousand Ming troops at Chishui Guard. Then, according to general rules, only about two thousand of those would be combat soldiers. She Chongming believed he could still handle that number, so he urgently lunged fiercely toward Chishui Guard. At the same time, he sent out reconnaissance riders in all directions, intending to sever the Ming army's supply line along the Chishui River in one stroke, and then swallow up this deep-striking Ming force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether in marching speed or combat effectiveness, this Ming army was an elite force the likes of which She Chongming had never seen. He therefore believed that this must be the backbone of the Ming offensive. He resolved to cast aside all other thoughts and first devour this core Ming force, thereby dealing the Ming army a severe blow both strategically and in morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over thirty thousand of the Yongning Pacification Commission's field elite were massed at Moni Station, while the remaining native subjects were assembled and frantically hauling the stockpiled provisions and fodder from Yongning, through Pushi Station, to Moni Station. This pair of brothers had also been urgently conscripted in recent days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder brother, the headman said that once we win this battle, the marriage restrictions will be lifted.\" As the younger brother spoke, his eyes were full of longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The native officials of the Yunnan-Guizhou region were hereditary masters for generation after generation; a thousand years, two thousand years would bring no change, and the native subjects were forever the liegemen of the native officials. Last year, She Chongming's youngest son came of age, so She Chongming, following the tradition of the native chieftains, forbade the native subjects from discussing marriage until his youngest son had selected his wives and concubines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against such acts, the native subjects dared not offer the slightest resistance. The Great Ming had repeatedly attempted to implement the policy of replacing native chieftains with rotating officials in the Yunnan-Guizhou region, but each time it failed due to the collective resistance of the native chieftains. According to the agreements and conventions between the Great Ming government and the local chieftains, cases involving native subjects could only be handed over to the native officials for handling. No matter how great an injustice a native subject suffered, the Great Ming's rotating officials had no authority to intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the early years of the Great Ming, there had been native subjects who, unable to endure the oppression, fled to the jurisdiction of the court's rotating officials, hoping to find refuge. But as time passed, the court's military deterrent power in Yunnan steadily declined, and the native officials grew bolder and bolder, raising troops to make trouble at the slightest displeasure. Thus, over the last hundred-plus years, if any fleeing native subjects were encountered, these people would ultimately, without exception, be sent back to their native officials. This was because the Great Ming's Yunnan and Guizhou Provincial Administrations no longer had the courage to engage in large-scale warfare with the native chieftains, and \"replacing native chieftains with rotating officials\" had become an empty phrase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, is there a girl who's caught your eye? Take this chance to marry her quickly and bring her home.\" The elder brother sighed with emotion. Because of the absolute authority the native officials had held for a thousand years, when these native subjects married, the bride's wedding night belonged to the native official. The Yongning Pacification Commission was naturally no exception; the elder of these two brothers had been a victim back in the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it had been this way locally for a thousand years, this elder brother harbored no thought of resistance. Besides, he was powerless to offer any resistance. A few days ago, to boost morale, She Chongming had announced that as long as they won this battle, not only would marriage not be forbidden, but he and his sons would also waive the right of the first night for a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The younger brother wolfed down his food in a few bites. The girl he fancied was waiting for him back in his home village. The moment the younger brother thought of his sweetheart, his whole body surged with drive: \"Good, but first we have to win.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm, wait for me.\" The elder brother looked at his younger brother, whose face was full of smiles, and gulped down the food in his own hand, preparing to rise and haul the grain supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After standing up, the younger brother squinted at the woods by the roadside for a moment, then suddenly shouted loudly: \"Brother, there seems to be something flashing in the woods.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\" The elder brother's mouth was stuffed full of food. He turned his head to look upon hearing this, but because he was squatting, he couldn't see anything. He strained to swallow a few times, but failed. Choking, the elder brother frantically pounded his chest with one hand while searching the ground everywhere for the water gourd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having found the water flask, the elder brother impatiently pulled out the stopper and gulped down two fierce mouthfuls. When he turned back, intending to speak to his younger brother, he saw that his brother's mouth was already hanging wide open, staring ahead in shock, unable to even make a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder brother looked around. The people nearby were all standing dumbstruck, one and all, staring at the woods to the east. Then a chaotic clatter of noise came from that direction. The elder brother stood up, gourd in hand, and cast a sidelong glance toward the woods over there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Buddha.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a startled cry, the water flask slipped from his loosened fingers and fell. The elder brother stared at that old forest. It was said to be a deep mountain old-growth forest a full sixty li wide, with foliage so dense it nearly blocked out the sun. Unless one was a local veteran hunter, upon entering, one would surely become dizzy and disoriented, unable to tell north from south. Not to mention the impassable swamps within. No one liked to travel through this mountain forest from Linzhou to Pushi Station, let alone hundreds or thousands of people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves into the forest, making the iron armor on the soldiers of the Firefighting Battalion's First Company glint and flash. Just now, after receiving the scouts' report and reaching the forest's edge, Wang Qinian had ordered the soldiers to take a final rest, then don their iron armor and advance in column formation. Although the opposing force appeared to be merely a unit of supply auxiliaries, the Firefighting Battalion still deployed in battle formation, the pikemen all leveling their gleaming blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marching behind the Firefighting Battalion's First Company was the advance party of the engineering corps. Along this entire route, besides the Firefighting Battalion's own engineering corps, Huang Shi had also brought the direct-line engineering corps of Funing Garrison. They had opened paths through mountains and built bridges across rivers the whole way, erecting one suspension bridge after another over mountain gorges. They had also felled many trees and used them to build a causeway over the swamps, allowing the supply train to haul the six-pounder cannons along with the troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Wang Qinian's order, the heavy infantry of the First Company lowered the visors on their helmets. They advanced with firm, resolute steps, mercilessly trampling branches and wild grass into the mud. This group of men surged silently out of the woods and onto the main road. Although the Firefighting Battalion's Third Company was already prepared for battle, the enemy troops opposite them appeared to have no weapons at all, and it was obvious that the enemy had all been paralyzed with fright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qinian, gripping a hand cannon in one hand and a saber in the other, stepped onto the official road. Of the hundred or so enemy soldiers opposite, some had already fled, while the rest were huddled into balls on the ground. Wang Qinian lowered his head to look at the two men crouched at his feet. These two looked like a pair of young brothers. Beside their legs lay an overturned gourd, water still gurgling out of it. The slightly older one held the younger one tightly in his arms. Four black eyes stared up at him without moving, their gazes filled with grief, indignation, and despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two brothers, believing themselves doomed, watched as the steel-clad Ming army leader lowered his head to scrutinize them for a few moments, then slid his gleaming long blade back into its scabbard, raised his head, and strode away. The Ming soldiers behind him were all clad in dazzlingly bright armor. These humanoid monsters with skin of steel filed past the pair of brothers one by one. Not a single one of them spared the brothers another glance, as if they had all lost interest in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the brothers' eyes could move again, even more Ming soldiers emerged from the woods, some even leading out several horses. But no one paid any attention to the pair of brothers, as if they simply did not exist. No, it was as if all these menfolk of the Yongning Pacification Commission simply did not exist. These Ming soldiers all rested their long pikes on their shoulders and marched silently, following in the footsteps of those ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brothers watched nervously as the soldiers passed by them, stepping onto the main road and then spreading out in a strange formation. Suddenly, a voice asking a question came from behind them, making both brothers jump with a start. When they turned around, they saw before them a face full of genial smiles, and heard familiar native speech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pardon me, you two brothers, we need to get to Pushi Station. Could you tell us how to get there? Many thanks.\" The smiling questioner appeared to be a local. Behind this local stood a Ming soldier wearing a yellow helmet. That Ming soldier's helmet was not only somewhat odd in color, but also bore, instead of a white feather, a tall red tassel, which looked to be nearly a foot long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Ming soldier with the strange helmet was in full battle dress, wearing a leather armor of dark reddish-purple. Hanging around his neck was a pitch-black cylindrical box. He held no weapon in his hands, but instead carried a brass-yellow metal rod. Noticing the brothers' gaze, this Ming soldier also smiled and nodded at them repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Huang Shi emerged from the woods, Ouyang Xin and several engineering officers from Funing Garrison were gathered around a wooden stump, bent over and discussing something. As Huang Shi approached, Ouyang Xin and the others all stood at attention and saluted him. Huang Shi glanced at the wooden stump; spread out on it was a sheet of paper, with a helmet weighing down one corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Ouyang, according to regulations, helmets are not to be removed on the battlefield.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Grand Commander,\" Ouyang Xin first acknowledged the order, then pointed behind his own ear, where a charcoal pencil was tucked: \"Grand Commander, your humble subordinate was merely seeking a bit of convenience.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The pencil may be held in the hand. The helmet is not to be removed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Grand Commander.\" Ouyang Xin picked up his helmet from the wooden stump and put it on, then unclasped the compass case hanging against his chest and pressed it down on top of that sheet of paper. Next, he casually picked up the monocular telescope leaning against the tree root and used it to hold down the other side of the paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing these tasks, Ouyang Xin used a charcoal pencil to point at the paper — the map that he and several other engineer officers had just finished drawing: \"Grand Commander, we are located between Pushisuo and Monisuo. About fifteen li to the north is Pushisuo, and forty-five li to the south is Monisuo. According to the prisoners, most of the rebel army's provisions are at Pushisuo, while their main force is at Monisuo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well done. In this march, Brother Ouyang deserves the highest merit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Commander, although we should now be closer to Pushisuo, we still haven't marched directly to its walls...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi cut off Ouyang Xin's apology. Relying entirely on the engineers' work to maintain direction throughout this journey, a deviation of over ten li from the target was already remarkable — after all, all maps of this era had considerable errors. The few horses led out at the very front had all been assigned to the engineers, who were now advancing along the road both north and south to draw topographic maps of the route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two lead companies of the Firefighting Battalion had already headed straight north toward Pushisuo. Huang Shi gave orders to the messenger behind him: \"Tell the supply company to ignore the provisions for now. Prioritize bringing up the medical supplies and the cannons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Grand Commander.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi then gave further orders: \"Send word to the rear — Bing Company, Wu Company, and Geng Company. After they emerge, they are to search and advance southward to guard against the enemy army turning back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past few days, the Firefighting Battalion had been advancing and resting in rotation within the forest. Because of this, Zhang Chengye and the others who had set out at the very beginning had all fallen to the rear. Although this forest could conceal a surprise attack force, large quantities of provisions still required solid roads to be transported. Therefore, if Huang Shi could not seize the supplies of the Yongning Pacification Commissioner, the troops he could sustain through this forest would be limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this campaign, Huang Shi had brought ample provisions, so the troops moved very slowly. Much credit went to the well-trained supply company, who worked together with the engineer company. Using various tools, they had managed to haul hundreds of thousands of jin of provisions, armor, cannons, and other supplies along with the main force. Even if Huang Shi could not obtain the Yongning Pacification Commissioner's provisions now, he could still hold out here for over three days. Moreover, when coming through this forest, Huang Shi had hidden many reserve grain caches along the way. Even if he had to march back, his backup provisions would still be sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the road from Pushisuo to Chishui Garrison was not in the hands of the Yongning Pacification Commissioner, She Chongming and his grand army were, in fact, already in an encircled position. Huang Shi's primary objective now was to swiftly capture Pushisuo. Once Pushisuo fell, the Yongning Army positioned between Pushisuo and the road to Linzhou would immediately lose their supply line as well. They would either abandon their positions and flee, or wait to starve to death between Pushisuo and Linzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The provisions stockpiled by the Yongning Pacification Commissioner at Pushisuo were enough to supply a grand army of tens of thousands. Capturing it would greatly ease Huang Shi's logistical pressure, freeing him from the urgent need to open the road to Linzhou for transporting provisions. Moreover, once Pushisuo was taken, even if Huang Shi encountered the worst-case scenario — Chishui Garrison falling — he could set a fire and burn She Chongming's provisions to ashes. That way, the Firefighting Battalion could safely withdraw to Linzhou no matter what, because without provisions, She Chongming and his grand army would have to return home on empty stomachs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cavalry company had once again been left at the very rear. Because the forest was full of grass and branches, it was easy to injure the horses' eyes if they were not careful, so they could only advance cautiously the entire time. For the moment, it seemed unlikely they would emerge from this deep mountain wilderness anytime soon. Before nightfall, two six-pounder cannons were hauled out of the forest. Huang Shi did not wait any longer. He left one company to defend southward, then took all the remaining troops with him. The Firefighting Battalion would march north through the night by torchlight, striving to launch an attack on Pushisuo by dawn the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time a full infantry company formation emerged from the forest, it would take over the defensive post from the rearguard troops, and the original rearguard troops would immediately head north to catch up with the main force. Huang Shi took more than half of the Firefighting Battalion's engineer company with him, leaving the rest, along with the main body's engineer company, under Ouyang Xin's command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon on the tenth day of the ninth month, the last three infantry companies and the cavalry company emerged from the woods one after another. The officers and men of the cavalry company had been unbearably stifled while traversing the mountain forest. Now that they were finally on a proper road, they eagerly leapt onto their horses and raced northward. Bing Company, Wu Company, and Geng Company, after a brief reorganization, began heading south. The order Huang Shi had left was to push the battle line southward as far as possible. The more the enemy army was compressed southward, the harder it would be for them to gnaw on tree bark and grass roots to escape back to their Yongning lair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seven li ahead there is a mountain ridge. In front of it and behind it, there is a small stream flowing horizontally across. So the area before and behind this ridge is open ground. Although not very large, it is enough to hold over a thousand troops.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the returning engineers reported the terrain, Ouyang Xin drew up the map. Zhang Chengye, now a senior company commander, was also the temporary commander of the three infantry companies. After looking at the map, he immediately ordered an accelerated advance: \"We must secure this position in our army's hands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Xin had long been responsible for the engineers and was therefore not very knowledgeable about combat. Seeing Zhang Chengye hurriedly preparing to set out, he directed the engineer company to follow and asked at the same time: \"Brother Zhang, is this location very important?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Extremely important.\" Although Zhang Chengye had followed Huang Shi far longer than Ouyang Xin, his rank was one level lower. Ouyang Xin was now a quasi-senior officer of the Funing Army, while Zhang Chengye was merely a mid-level one: \"Both sides of this ridge are relatively narrow roads. Only here can troops be deployed. This kind of place — where one can advance to attack and retreat to defend — is repeatedly emphasized in the infantry regulations as a position that must be taken as quickly as possible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\" Ouyang Xin responded simply. Although he still did not fully understand, since it was in the regulations, there was nothing to consider — because their engineer regulations were also the foundation of their operations. Huang Shi had always wanted to build a professional army, so his requirement for the officers and men of the Funing Army was to be as specialized as possible, and this goal was primarily achieved through familiarization with their respective duty regulations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enemy troops spotted ahead! Just behind the mountain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they were less than two li from the target location, scouts reported that an enemy force had already arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many rebels? How far?\" Zhang Chengye asked nervously. If the opponent occupied this open area, the Funing Army would only be able to attack in column formation against an enemy in line formation from the road. While not impossible, this would likely increase the difficulty of the assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Several hundred, advancing toward us from the road opposite. Can't make out the exact numbers. They're still a little over three li from the ridge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All troops, advance at the double!\" Zhang Chengye bellowed, then took the lead and began running. The soldiers of the Firefighting Battalion, wearing helmets and carrying weapons, all broke into a jog forward. Ouyang Xin hurriedly had the engineer company clear the path, then they all turned back to help the supply company haul armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Ouyang Xin, carrying a suit of armor on his back, arrived panting at the destination, the three companies of Firefighting Battalion soldiers had already deployed behind the ridge, forming a line formation. A portion of the arquebusiers had already ascended the ridge and begun setting up their firing positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The supply company and engineer company were frantically transporting armor, while the infantry company officers ordered the combat troops to sit on the ground and take their final pre-battle rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A mixed rabble of rebel troops falling back. They must have been urgently dispatched to the rear.\" Zhang Chengye walked down from the ridge and leisurely donned his iron armor. It was clear his mood was relaxed, as he took his time explaining to Ouyang Xin: \"Their marching speed is far too slow. But the exact numbers are unclear. Our troops don't need to approach the tree line opposite. Just holding this ridge will suffice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After donning his armor, Zhang Chengye drank a bowl of stream water before slowly walking up toward the ridge. The officers and men of the engineer and supply companies stood behind, discussing the situation ahead with a mix of nervousness and curiosity. At the same time, the supply company officers were hopping with impatience, anxious that the cannons still could not be hauled up in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, orders seemed to come from the ridge. The pikemen remaining on this side of the slope stood up in unison and, led by their officers, slowly marched up the high ground, then crossed the battle line and gradually disappeared from Ouyang Xin's view. In the end, all he could see were countless gleaming spear shafts and blades emerging from the horizon line, densely packed and pointing toward the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, those spear blades dipped downward several times in unison, batch after batch descending below the horizon line. Then the remaining ones also toppled forward. In the blink of an eye, Ouyang Xin could not see a single spear anymore. He could not help but mutter to himself: \"It's begun. The rebels are coming up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, this senior engineer officer was mistaken again. Zhang Chengye had merely ordered the front-rank pikemen to march forward a few more paces in unison, then had the soldiers level their pikes so as not to obstruct the field of fire for the arquebusiers behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yongning Army on the opposite side seemed greatly shocked to encounter Ming troops here. They too appeared to realize the value of this terrain, but since the Ming army had already deployed, they could not come out to form their own battle lines. Zhang Chengye watched coldly as the enemy donned armor and distributed weapons on the road, chaotically making their battle preparations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Yongning Army finished donning their armor, they dispersed directly into the woods on either side of the road. Zhang Chengye knew they intended to form a line formation within the woods and then emerge to fight. This intention only made Zhang Chengye sneer. Forming up in the woods not only wasted time but also greatly expended physical strength. The entire Firefighting Battalion maintained a terrifying silence as they watched the enemy figures gradually emerge from the tree line diagonally below them, still separated by about fifty meters from the Ming battle line that had descended halfway down the slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bows and crossbows are weapons highly demanding of weather conditions. Even in Liaodong, their effectiveness was greatly reduced on overcast days. Here in the southwest, the humid climate rendered bows and crossbows completely unusable, so the weapons employed here were blowguns and slings. Seeing the opponent display intentions of launching ranged attacks, Zhang Chengye ordered the entire force to kneel. The enemy hurled some stones and blew out many poison darts. Most of these projectiles failed to reach the Firefighting Battalion's position. The few blowgun darts and stones that did strike the Firefighting Battalion's pikemen were powerless to penetrate the iron armor worn by the Ming soldiers, merely producing a few helpless clanging sounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arquebusiers, fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one hundred and fifty Ming arquebusiers on the hilltop unleashed a volley. After the gunpowder smoke erupted violently from the muzzles, a string of agonized screams rang out from the edge of the woods a hundred meters away. Many Yongning soldiers sprawled to the ground, producing the heavy thuds of bodies impacting the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arquebusiers, fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another one hundred and fifty arquebusiers fired a volley. Heart-rending screams once again rang out from the boundary between the woods and the stream. More Yongning soldiers collapsed to the ground. Those struck in the torso by Ming arquebus rounds almost all swiftly breathed their last. As for those hit in the limbs, their arms or legs were almost instantly shattered by the twenty-four-millimeter caliber lead balls. These wounded men rolled across the ground, helplessly emitting the agonized sounds of the dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After two volleys, Zhang Chengye noticed that the enemy seemed to hesitate for a moment. Just then, the Ming arquebusiers fired a third volley. The enemy within his field of vision appeared to retreat in panic. Directly across from Zhang Chengye, one Yongning soldier seemed as if drunk, staggering and swaying a few steps under the Ming army's gaze, then turned and embraced a large tree, slowly, slowly sliding down to sit on the ground. As his arms slid downward around the tree, they left a broad, long red smear on the trunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaotic shouts erupted from the Yongning Army's position. After a while, figures stirred again within the woods opposite. The Ming army waited patiently. This time, the Yongning Army seemed to have no intention of trading ranged fire with the Ming troops again. After a brief pause at the edge of the woods, they surged out from the entire dividing line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless feet splashed across that stream. The Yongning Army held rattan shields before them and pressed forward in a dense black mass toward the Ming army. They appeared to number over a thousand as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Chengye had already raised his pistol beside his ear. This time, the weapon in his hand was a new-style weapon of Funing Garrison — a flintlock pistol issued specifically to officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the report of Zhang Chengye's pistol, four hundred and fifty Ming arquebuses unleashed a tremendously powerful volley. Simultaneously, the Ming pikemen rose to their feet after this volley, preparing to engage in close combat with the support of the arquebusiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, that was no longer necessary. The enemy before them had abandoned nearly a hundred corpses and almost as many wounded. The remaining seven or eight hundred Yongning soldiers discarded their armor and weapons and fled in a chaotic swarm into the woods. The Ming army fired one more pursuit volley with their arquebuses, cutting down another batch of Yongning soldiers fleeing at the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corpses lay strewn across the verdant green hillside, spreading from halfway up the slope all the way to the stream. Within that small stream, over a dozen Yongning soldiers now lay fallen as well, dyeing the originally clear water with a few wisps of pale red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over seven hundred Ming pikemen on the hillside stood in orderly line formation, their pikes dense as a forest. Behind them, the Ming arquebusiers had also resumed their standing-at-attention posture, each one holding their arquebus vertically and gazing forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Chengye estimated that the opposing side had originally numbered between fifteen hundred and two thousand Yongning soldiers. The entire engagement had lasted no more than half a shichen. The enemy had left behind nearly four hundred corpses, yet had not inflicted a single casualty on the Ming army. Both routs had been caused by arquebus volleys; there had been no need for cold steel combat at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Truly pathetic. What kind of battle is this? It seems these are indeed the rearguard rabble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Zhang Chengye was expressing his deep lament, the grinding sound of wheels — creak, creak — came from the slope behind him. Soon, two six-pounder cast-iron cannons extended their dark, gaping muzzles from either side of Zhang Chengye.\u003C\u002Fp>",6855,"2026-06-04T07:54:54.057Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","f971995e10990684f920d3a450451266632f6e60da27750eb18fbee00bd4014c","stealing-ming-chapter-296","stealing-ming-chapter-294",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]