[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-308":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},1220925,1614,"Chapter 308","stealing-ming-chapter-308",308,"\u003Cp>The twentieth day of the seventh month, second year of the Chongzhen reign, Xiapu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dingyuan, just back from Hokkaido in Japan, came rushing in a fluster to find Huang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When He Dingyuan burst in, the table in the room was crowded with people; Huang Shi was in the middle of discussing the plan to attack Xiamen with Li Yunrui, Jin Qiude, and Zhao Manxiong. Seeing He Dingyuan's face flushed crimson, Huang Shi knew without asking what he had come for, so he merely sighed softly and signaled the guards at the door to shut it tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Commander, you must submit a memorial to plead justice for Marshal Mao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yunrui, Jin Qiude, and Zhao Manxiong all clamped their mouths firmly shut, each lowering their heads to study the documents in their hands. Huang Shi slumped weakly back against his chair: \"Brother He, what can I do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are petty men beside His Majesty. Grand Commander, you cannot stand by and watch Marshal Mao be wronged.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't want to either, but this lies beyond my jurisdiction. I am the Regional Commander of Funing Garrison, not a remonstrating censor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dingyuan stood frozen for a moment, then murmured: \"Marshal Mao hacked through brambles and thorns, kept hundreds of thousands alive. How could His Majesty be so heartless, not even leaving him a path to live...\" He Dingyuan suddenly slammed both fists down, smashing heavily onto the tabletop, and roared in grief and fury: \"What gives him the right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Qiude and the others turned a deaf ear, still studying the things in their hands. Zhao Manxiong had been writing at that moment; He Dingyuan's blow instantly made him blot a character crooked. Without lifting his head, Zhao Manxiong casually swapped in a fresh sheet of paper and went on writing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi, however, felt some pity in his heart. He said, in as calm a tone as he could manage: \"It may not have been His Majesty's intent. I believe this was that cur Yuan forging an imperial decree.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dingyuan scoffed at Huang Shi's words. He spoke rapidly: \"Grand Commander, I know you wish to defend His Majesty, but the ancients said: the faults of a gentleman are like eclipses of the sun and moon — all see them; when he corrects them, all look up to him. This time His Majesty heeded petty men's words. Therefore, Grand Commander, in public duty and in private loyalty, you ought to submit a memorial to argue forcefully for Marshal Mao, so that His Majesty will rehabilitate him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rehabilitate how? That cur Yuan trumped up a string of charges and then murdered Marshal Mao. There was never any thorough investigation by the proper authorities. The court neither stripped Marshal Mao of his official rank nor proclaimed his guilt. There was never even a conviction — so where does rehabilitation come in?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Shuangdao Incident, Chongzhen merely had the charges Yuan Chonghuan had laid against Mao Wenlong reissued once in the court gazette, notifying everyone, and that was the end of it. In his reply to Yuan Chonghuan, Chongzhen did express consolation, telling him to go on with his \"pacify Liaodong in five years.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from the strict perspective of the Great Ming Code, Chongzhen's consolation in the imperial edict and his political endorsement of Yuan Chonghuan did not mean the matter was concluded. Quite the opposite: so long as the Ministry of Justice had not passed a day of final judgment on the Mao Wenlong case, Yuan Chonghuan's killing of Mao Wenlong was merely suspended, or temporarily frozen — not a closed case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi spoke very slowly and very carefully. He Dingyuan listened in silence, his lips pressed tightly together, his expression utterly grave. He Dingyuan had just returned; upon hearing that Yuan Chonghuan had killed Mao Wenlong, he had rushed straight to Huang Shi, so he did not know many of the details. Huang Shi recounted the entire process for him from the beginning, along with the court's subsequent handling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is how it stands, Brother He. Therefore, I believe it is very likely this was not His Majesty's imperial decree, but that cur Yuan forging an edict to murder Marshal Mao. Had it been a secret decree from His Majesty, logically that cur Yuan would not have accepted a vague 'Wenlong has shown signs of colluding with the barbarians.' He would have had the Ministry of Justice formally confirm whether Mao Wenlong did or did not commit those twelve crimes, whether Marshal Mao did or did not 'collude' with the Jianzhou slaves.\" After he finished, Huang Shi spread both hands helplessly and said: \"So for me to submit a memorial crying injustice for Marshal Mao is impossible — because there is, in fact, no injustice to cry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Commander, I understand your meaning,\" He Dingyuan said, his bright eyes fixed unblinkingly on Huang Shi, his tone level but forceful: \"You believe it was that cur Yuan forging an edict, but His Majesty intends to first see whether he can 'pacify Liaodong in five years,' and then decide how this case should be judged. Is that correct?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Dingyuan straightened his chest and drew a deep breath: \"Grand Commander, that means there were no petty men deluding His Majesty. His Majesty knew perfectly well that Marshal Mao was wronged, but so long as that cur Yuan can 'pacify Liaodong in five years,' His Majesty will help him wrong Marshal Mao together. Is that it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi sighed faintly and nodded once, lightly, while saying very rapidly in a low voice: \"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A fatuous ruler without the Way!\" He Dingyuan bellowed in a fury bordering on madness. He again pounded the tabletop with all his might, and from within the blow came a crisp sound of snapping bone. Huang Shi started and rose to his feet. Li Yunrui was sitting not far from He Dingyuan; he leapt up at once, but He Dingyuan seemed not to feel it, and followed with another blow that nearly shattered his palm on the table. As Li Yunrui wrapped his arms around He Dingyuan's waist and dragged him away from the table, He Dingyuan roared again: \"A fatuous lord and treacherous ministers!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi ordered his trusted personal guards to drag He Dingyuan, whose hands were streaming blood without cease, off to Hu Qingbai's place. He had just snapped one of the bones in his left little finger. After the still-furious He Dingyuan was hauled away, the atmosphere in the room sank back into silence. Huang Shi sighed, slumped into his seat, rested his right hand on his forehead, and gently kneaded the bridge of his nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other three also returned to their seats. All of them had lost any interest in continuing the discussion of the attack on Xiamen. Ever since the news of Mao Wenlong's murder had arrived, everyone had been cursing Yuan Chonghuan and the Grand Secretariat as petty men in public these past days, but in their hearts they all harbored thoughts not meant for outsiders' ears. Today, with He Dingyuan's outburst, that paper window-pane had been punctured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although quite a few people now believed that Yuan Chonghuan had received a secret imperial decree, the three men in this room all concurred with Huang Shi's analysis. They all believed that Yuan Chonghuan had acted on his own authority — strike first, report later, and force Chongzhen to endorse it. And Chongzhen had reckoned that the death of one Mao Wenlong was no great matter; so long as Yuan Chonghuan could smash the Later Jin, he could perfectly well let this affair pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Huang Shi silent with his head bowed, Zhao Manxiong first exchanged a look with Jin Qiude, then fixed his gaze on Li Yunrui. The latter swallowed and said cautiously: \"Grand Commander, perhaps General He is right. Perhaps His Majesty was indeed deluded by petty men and then issued a secret decree to that cur Yuan, ordering him to murder Marshal Mao. Otherwise... otherwise... otherwise... well, His Majesty is wise and brilliant; he should not be a ruler without the Way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi, head still lowered, gave a cold laugh and answered lazily: \"Brother Li, and you two as well — if you have something to say, say it plainly. Whatever you say today, I will not pass it on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Qiude glanced at Zhao Manxiong, then cleared his throat and spoke: \"When the late Emperor reigned, although we military officers were always bullied by the civil officials, that was because the civil officials deceived the imperial hearing. Once the late Emperor learned of our grievances, the civil officials would suffer for it, so they dared not bully us too excessively. But... but His Majesty's conduct in this shows that, in the present Emperor's heart, we military officers are nothing but a pack of dogs. Marshal Mao braved death and danger, toiled for the state, held out alone beyond the sea, and served the nation loyally for over ten years. Yet it seems that in His Majesty's heart, Marshal Mao was nothing more than an old dog — killed, and that's that. His Majesty will not right the injustice for him, still less avenge him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No matter what His Majesty thought of Marshal Mao, the crux is that this kind of thing is too terrifying.\" Zhao Manxiong spoke while scanning the faces around him. With righteous indignation he declared: \"What if... I'm just saying what if... one day the Provincial Governor of Fujian murders us, and then tells His Majesty he can pacify the seas in two years. His Majesty would not right the injustice for us either. And if Governor Zhu really does succeed in pacifying the seas in two years, then we will have died for nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yunrui nodded repeatedly: \"Indeed, what Lord Zhao says is true. For instance, that Fujian Regional Inspector is merely a rank-seven censor, yet he submits memorials impeaching the Grand Commander and Governor Zhu every day. Yet both the Grand Commander and Governor Zhu hold the Imperial Sword, and by law can execute first and report later for officials of rank five and below. If that Fujian Regional Inspector keeps wagging his tongue at Funing Garrison in the future, can we kill him too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, when Dongjiang Garrison heard that Tianqi would dispatch eunuchs as army supervisors, the entire garrison's officers and men were overjoyed — precisely because they believed the Emperor was just. No matter how much grief the military men suffered at the hands of civil officials, they never vented that resentment upon the Emperor. They all believed the Emperor was at most deceived, but so long as right and wrong were laid out clearly before the Emperor, a just resolution could always be obtained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, Chongzhen shattered the last shred of illusion in the hearts of the military officers. Chongzhen told the world, plainly and unmistakably: so long as you can get the job done, then wronging a few lives, starving a few tens of thousands of frontier garrison troops to death — none of that is any great matter. Even if you openly violate the law, I can back you up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Qiude said flatly: \"Even Marshal Mao could not die a natural death. Even Marshal Mao was regarded by His Majesty as a pig or a dog. Then what are we? How can our merits and hardships possibly compare to Marshal Mao's?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, the Shuangdao Incident had been nothing more than a historical tale to Huang Shi. But after this event truly occurred, Huang Shi suddenly realized that this was no longer a matter wholly unrelated to himself — it was a matter of his own life and death. Besides, such things had happened more than once in history. He Dingyuan's clan elder, He Renlong, was another example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Renlong had a very bad temper and repeatedly, publicly reviled the civil officials serving as army supervisors. When Hong Chengchou took command of the Gan-Shaan theater, he treated He Renlong with unfailing courtesy and forbearance. As Regional Commander of the Qin Army, whether fighting the Mongols or facing the Chuang Army — whether against old Chuang King Gao Yingxiang or new Chuang King Li Zicheng — He Renlong had never lost a battle. In every engagement he led his retainers in the charge and broke the enemy lines, earning him the nickname \"Madman He\" bestowed by the peasant army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because He Renlong had served many years on the frontier, his merits were the greatest and his fame the most resounding. So when Sun Chuanting took command of the Qin Army for the second time, he killed the Qin Army's Regional Commander, He Renlong, to establish his authority. Chongzhen likewise expressed indifference to this. He felt it was perfectly normal for a civil official to kill a military officer — especially to kill a veteran general of great renown and great merit within the army — in order to assert authority and discipline the troops. So long as Sun Chuanting could pacify Li Zicheng, he would not hold it against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the news of He Renlong's death spread, the Chuang Army congratulated each other. From Li Zicheng on down, all said: \"Now that Madman He is dead, taking Guanzhong will be as easy as picking up a blade of grass.\" They immediately sought a decisive battle with the Qin Army, routed Sun Chuanting, broke through Tong Pass and Xi'an, and captured the Prince of Qin alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi could forever keep a guard detachment to protect against Yuan Chonghuan, and he could protect against Sun Chuanting too. But he could not forever lead troops to protect against everyone, could he? In the past, once an official reached Huang Shi's position, his life was considered secure. No one within the Great Ming's borders would dare touch him, because killing Huang Shi would be no different from suicide. But now Chongzhen had broken the rules by which the Ming Empire operated, and Huang Shi, too, began to feel unsafe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, if some civil official wanted to establish his authority, he might very well borrow Huang Shi's head for the purpose: \"Look — I dare to kill even Huang Shi. You'd all better keep your eyes peeled and obediently fall in line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, Huang Shi could not help a bitter laugh. He could already faintly discern the unspoken meaning behind his subordinates' words, yet he had to admit that what they said was very reasonable: \"I do not wish to build up my own power to defy authority. But neither do I wish to throw my life away for nothing. Have the Wolf Men infiltrate the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission. Whoever tries to move against me, I want to know at the very first moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Qiude, Li Yunrui, and Zhao Manxiong exchanged another glance, then answered in unison in low voices: \"As ordered, Grand Commander.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since Funing Garrison had leased out all its craftsmen, Fujian's shipbuilding industry had undergone further major development. Nominally, Huang Shi held a floating dry share, but in practice this was more akin to a later-era commercial tax; Huang Shi had no intention whatsoever of interfering in the various merchants' production and management decisions. As a result, after acquiring the techniques and craftsmen, these merchants unanimously began to increase investment and expand production. All of these Fujian merchants were extremely eager to crush the sea bandits as quickly as possible and reopen maritime trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The supplies these merchants produced vastly exceeded Huang Shi's imagination. The navy was rebuilt at astonishing speed, but at the same time, the silver in Huang Shi's hands was spent just as rapidly. In mid-seventh month, Huang Shi received another letter from Zhu Yifeng, saying that counterfeit Pacify-the-Sea bonds had been discovered in the marketplace. Although they were very crudely made, some mountain folk in remote areas had still been taken in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This situation naturally affected the circulation of the Pacify-the-Sea bonds. Some people were becoming less willing to accept Pacify-the-Sea bonds as a medium of exchange. Moreover, as time passed, the real price of these bonds seemed to be rising above their face value, which likewise affected their circulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After deep and careful consideration, Huang Shi again had Liu Qingyang use the Dark Council to communicate with the merchants. In the end, they reached a unified resolution with Funing Garrison: Funing Garrison would issue a new kind of military scrip, called Funing Notes. This military scrip would be a printed paper currency. When Huang Shi had no silver on hand, he could first use these to settle debts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dark Council not only permitted their circulation within the Council itself, but Funing Garrison also accepted merchants using these notes to pay the Pacify-the-Sea tax and the income tax. In effect, the Pacify-the-Sea tax and the income tax were used to guarantee the credit of these notes. Furthermore, Huang Shi guaranteed that even if these notes circulated outside the Council, outside merchants could likewise use them to pay the Pacify-the-Sea tax, or to purchase supplies from Funing Garrison and Council members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Huang Shi also wrote back to Zhu Yifeng, saying that for the welfare of the people of Fujian province, a batch of securities exchanges ought to be established. Those in urgent need of silver could convert their securities into cash at the securities exchanges. The securities exchanges would be responsible for verifying the authenticity of the securities. Naturally, trading securities would also incur a transaction fee — roughly a one-percent stamp tax. Huang Shi himself felt a little embarrassed about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yifeng approved of this measure for the people's convenience, but he found Huang Shi's desire to charge a fee somewhat incomprehensible. Huang Shi explained that it was to cover the daily operating expenses of the exchanges. Zhu Yifeng then proposed that the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission cover these expenses, so there would be no need to charge a transaction fee. But Huang Shi disagreed, saying that administrative expenses were all the blood and fat of the people and should not be squandered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yifeng, now long accustomed to being an incorruptible upright official, felt that Huang Shi's reasoning was very sound and agreed to the proposal. Because Huang Shi told Zhu Yifeng that these securities exchanges would be open every day, Zhu Yifeng was very worried that Huang Shi would end up pouring money into them, and quite a bit of silver every day at that — after all, Huang Shi would still have to support a batch of authenticators and auctioneers. So when Huang Shi asked Zhu Yifeng how this tax should be distributed, Zhu Yifeng expressed surprise and said that Huang Shi could handle it entirely at his own discretion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Huang Shi insisted on giving Zhu Yifeng a dry share, saying that Funing Garrison would take ninety percent, and the remaining ten percent of the dividends would go to Governor Zhu. Zhu Yifeng laughed heartily for a long while. Never mind whether there could even be any profit — even if the annual gross profit amounted to a few hundred or a thousand copper cash, ten percent would be only a few dozen or a hundred copper coins. He, the dignified Provincial Governor of an entire province, did not take that to heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yifeng felt that one percent sounded a bit too little. Those in a hurry to sell their bonds must be poor people, who would not have more than a few mace of silver to their names. Nor would there necessarily be people coming every day; the stamp tax collected in a day might amount to just a few or a few dozen copper cash. This notion was the exact opposite of Huang Shi's. Huang Shi, for his part, thought that the poor were actually less likely to sell bonds at a loss. Besides, Zhu Yifeng would surely regret refusing the dry share.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it really were only a few dozen copper cash, then of course Zhu Yifeng could not possibly take it to heart. Governor Zhu's statutory salary included rice, cloth, and various other goods; converted into silver, his annual salary amounted to roughly one or two hundred taels of silver. Huang Shi privately estimated that Zhu Yifeng's actual monthly income was around three to four hundred taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter what Zhu Yifeng said, Huang Shi insisted on giving him a ten-percent dry share. In the end, Zhu Yifeng accepted it, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. In any case, he had made up his mind: at year's end, he absolutely would not take that batch of copper coins from Huang Shi. He, the dignified Provincial Governor of a province, could not afford to lose face like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seventeenth day of the eighth month, second year of the Chongzhen reign. The open sea off Zhongzuosuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between the azure sea and the blue sky, a line of warships, their sails bellied full with wind, steered toward Jinmen Island. In this fleet were thirty-eight warships. Eight were the old-style five-hundred-fifty-ton vessels from the previous campaign. Another fifteen were Funing Garrison's new four-hundred-twenty-ton warships, armed with eighteen nine-pounder guns and six three-pounder guns. Each of these twenty-four-gun ships carried a complement of one hundred eighty officers, men, and sailors. These ships had a shallower draft, and their guns were also lighter and handier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining warships were all sea-going vessels that Funing Garrison had either purchased or crudely and hastily built. But they too were equipped with large numbers of cannon. Apart from that, these ships also carried no small number of sailors, whose primary equipment was rifles and long sabers. The Ming army had this time also prepared for hand-to-hand combat. For all such single-use sea vessels, Funing Garrison adopted the mindset of saving wherever possible, keeping only the essential parts on the entire ship and leaving behind everything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Zigao's flagship was a large five-hundred-fifty-ton vessel. All of Funing Garrison's domestically produced warships now uniformly featured Western-style soft sails and external-keel hulls. By Huang Shi's order, these ships had all been fitted with a figurehead. It was a white dolphin, its body arched as it leapt from the water. The officers and men were all very pleased with this figurehead and believed it would bring good fortune to all the sailors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, at everyone's unanimous request, the Funing Garrison Navy embroidered a white dolphin onto the Great Ming's military banner. This White Dolphin Banner would also serve as the official naval ensign of Funing Garrison. According to the officers and men, whenever they saw the Mazu Fish fluttering high upon the mast, they felt especially at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahead! Sighted the sea bandits' main fleet!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the lookout on the mast sounded the alarm, Yu Zigao immediately pulled out his telescope and looked. In the direction the lookout tower had indicated, the tips of masts gradually appeared, and very quickly more and more masts rose from below the sea’s surface, as if a dense forest had suddenly sprouted from the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ve come at the right time!” Yu Zigao narrowed his eyes to observe the enemy’s formation while issuing orders to the messenger soldiers beside him at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These days, life had become increasingly unbearable for the sea bandits. Liu Xiangqi proposed returning to their old home in Guangdong several times, but Zheng Yiguan firmly opposed it. He believed that, first, Guangdong could not support so many sea bandits, and second, the government troops would not let them go either. Zheng Yiguan also quoted a passage from *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, saying that their current situation was exactly like Cao Mengde’s at Guandu, “using the utterly weak to withstand the utterly strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the sea bandits no longer had the strength to land on shore, as long as they still controlled places like Xiamen, Jinmen, and Tongshan for even a single day, the Fujian waterway would remain blocked for that day. In Zheng Yiguan’s words, this was precisely gripping Funing Garrison by the throat, making Huang Shi unable to breathe freely—full of strength but with no way to exert it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiangqi thought it over and felt that Zheng Yiguan’s words made a great deal of sense. Although Zheng Yiguan was a Fujian native with his own selfish motives, the reason Liu Xiangqi had set aside all past grievances to come support Zheng Yiguan was also because Huang Shi was too aggressive, adopting a posture of wanting to wipe out the Min and Yue sea bandits in one sweep. Funing Garrison was already terrifying enough; if Huang Shi were allowed to start collecting maritime taxes and amassing wealth, then the government troops would certainly grow even more powerful, and when the time came, Huang Shi would definitely send troops to the Yue seas to seek trouble with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Zheng Yiguan could not say when this fight would end, after deep consideration, Liu Xiangqi was still determined to support Zheng Yiguan with all his strength. If gripping Huang Shi by the throat could not make him agree to amnesty, then letting go would obviously be an even more certain path to death. Therefore, for these past few months, Liu Xiangqi had not hesitated to operate at a loss, transporting supplies from Guangdong to Xiamen, gritting his teeth and stubbornly holding on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, because supplies were limited, the sea bandits had in fact already abandoned control over more than half of the Min sea. After the Funing Army naval fleet set out from Xiapu this time, the sea bandits did not even consider fighting a decisive battle beyond their territory. Their supplies were insufficient to support launching another long-range operation, so their only hope was to conduct a home defense at Xiamen and drive the government troops back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiangqi and Zheng Yiguan no longer spoke of winning the fight to gain amnesty. Their new slogan to boost the soldiers’ morale was to hold out for two years. Some rumors had leaked from Huang Shi’s memorial claiming he would pacify the seas in two years, so the two heroes of the Min and Yue seas encouraged their underlings by saying that as long as they could hold out for more than two years, the imperial court would dismiss Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng, and the succeeding Provincial Governor and Regional Commander would then choose to offer amnesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Liu Xiangqi also knew this notion was not very reliable. The two of them had been beaten so badly that they had no place to stand on the mainland. In the eyes of the imperial court, Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng must already be considered basically successful. Even if dismissals were to happen, they would have to start with Yu Zigao, and the old man was still alive and kicking. Clearly, the dismissal of Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng was even more remote and indefinite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that Liu Xiangqi was already riding a tiger and found it hard to dismount. Not long ago, Zheng Yiguan and he had again sent a joint envoy to Quanzhou. This time they only requested to keep half of their ships, and both men swore solemn oaths that in the future they would be, and only be, law-abiding sea merchants. Liu Xiangqi and Zheng Yiguan also had the envoy tell the officials that as long as amnesty was agreed to, it would not be impossible for the two brothers to cough up a few more ships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujian Provincial Governor Zhu Yifeng was very polite to the envoy, and did not even speak harshly to them. But Zhu Yifeng firmly rejected the demands of Zheng Yiguan and Liu Xiangqi. He said that the ships of the two Min and Yue sea bandit heroes were all plundered from the flesh and blood of the common people, so the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission would not agree to let them keep their ships. However, if the two of them surrendered, their lives could still be spared; at worst, they would be banished to military service or sit in prison for a few years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiangqi had struggled for half his life to reach where he was today; telling him to become a beggar was something he would not even consider. So he could only persist, continuing to wait bitterly for a turn of fortune that he did not know when, or if, would ever appear. The supplies stockpiled by the sea bandits were now nearly exhausted, but Liu Xiangqi could not stop his underlings’ extravagance, because everyone had become a sea bandit precisely to feast on fish and meat, not to endure hardship. Especially with the situation so dire now, Liu Xiangqi had no choice but to desperately scatter money to maintain morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days ago, upon hearing that the Funing Army had reached Quanzhou, Liu Xiangqi and Zheng Yiguan inspected and repaired their ships to prepare for battle. This time, their plan was limited to making the government troops realize the difficulty and retreat. According to Liu Xiangqi’s experience, the government troops’ warships would fall apart after a few months of use. So as long as the government troops could not bite through Xiamen, this offensive by the government troops would essentially be another failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiangqi and Zheng Yiguan formulated a plan for close-quarters combat, because gunpowder and shot were both very expensive. The Fujian waterway had been closed to the sea for over a year, starving both the Min and Yue heroes thin. They had captured some of the government troops’ cannons, but they could not afford to waste ammunition, so they had conducted no training at all and could only hope to get lucky during close-range attacks. Of course, they hoped even more to settle the fight with cold steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the government troops’ large warships sailing over with majestic authority, Liu Xiangqi’s heart tightened repeatedly. The government troops’ equipment was better each time, and their ships larger each time. The attrition of naval warfare was the most staggering; he estimated that he and Zheng Yiguan could only fight two or three more normal naval battles, after which they would have no choice but to board and fight with blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The naval fleet led by Yu Zigao still advanced in a single line toward the sea bandits’ formation, while his opponent was arrayed in a long horizontal line. The sea bandits’ front row consisted of large seagoing ships with cannons deployed at their bows. Behind these ships were batches of fire ships, and further back were fast troop transports loaded with large numbers of sea bandits. Viewed from high above, the situation looked like a long spear thrusting straight toward the left edge of a thick shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this deployment, the naval regulations of Funing Garrison had already been drawn up. On Huang Shi’s orders, the staff department had questioned Yu Zigao in detail about various navigational precautions and the lessons learned from guarding against enemy surprise attacks. This information had been compiled into manuals. Henceforth, whether or not Yu Zigao forgot an order, the naval staff officers would automatically carry out the relevant safety regulations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sea bandits were already quite close. Yu Zigao raised his telescope again. The messenger soldier beside him shouted loudly, and the helmsman at the back swiftly executed a hard turn to starboard. The warship heeled slightly and began to turn around right in front of the approaching sea bandits. At the same time, the signalman on the mast rapidly sent flag signals, and the ships following behind Yu Zigao’s flagship also turned one after another. The government naval fleet traced an arc across the sea’s surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The government warships loaded with marines had already withdrawn to the rear of the formation. The twenty-three disposable gunboats quickly turned ninety degrees, facing the charging sea bandits with their broadsides. The flagship led the way, sailing past the front of the sea bandit formation. On the broadsides of each gunboat, the square gun-port lids were pushed open one after another and then propped up with brackets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the lower deck of a twenty-four-gun ship, the sailors chanted a work song as they pushed the dark cast-iron gun carriages forward, making the cold muzzles of the nine-pounders protrude from the square ports and point toward the boundless sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gun captain pressed his face against the left side of the port, straining to look to the right. Soon the sea bandits’ ship formation appeared in his field of vision. Without turning his head, he waved his hand. The loader immediately pulled out a thin iron priming wire and thrust it sharply down through the cannon’s vent, tearing a large hole in the powder bag inside. Then the loader took out a cloth bag and poured the priming powder into the vent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the gun deck of this Western-style warship, there were no partitions. A naval officer strode back and forth behind each cannon, his boots thudding loudly against the wooden floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Target: one o’clock direction, the two-zhang sea ship flying a white and blue flag.” A messenger soldier from the upper deck leaned his head down and loudly relayed the captain’s order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aye, target confirmed!” the officer shouted sonorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enemy ship confirmed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enemy ship confirmed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another, the gun captains loudly replied. The captain had selected several very distinct features for the target, and each gun captain carefully adjusted the cannon under his charge, aiming the muzzle at the enemy ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the ship’s captain stood on the bridge, watching the enemy ship charging toward them while waiting for the warship ahead to begin its bombardment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Yu Zigao’s command, the flagship’s broadside erupted with bursts of flame, and the entire warship shuddered, heeling to starboard. Just as the flagship finished firing, the second warship following close behind also began its broadside, then the third… The rumbling cannon fire sounded like muffled thunder, rolling continuously across the sea’s surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the warship ahead open fire, the captain of this twenty-four-gun ship also shouted: “Fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The command passed down from the upper deck, through the middle deck, and straight to the lower deck. The officer on the lower deck waited quietly until he heard the first cannon shot from the deck above, and then he shouted with all his might: “Fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire!” The gun captain of the cannon closest to the bow immediately responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>",5767,"2026-06-04T07:54:54.057Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","e990703f50b3ec9d39ff45b9409e28371c1e6ce1f010fe9adb65d338d9d11cfc","stealing-ming-chapter-309","stealing-ming-chapter-307",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]