[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-309":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},1220926,1614,"Chapter 309: Section 59: Turning Back (Part 2)","stealing-ming-chapter-309",309,"\u003Cp>The command passed along like a relay baton, one after another, from the first cannon all the way to the last. The twelve gunports on the port side of the twenty-four-gun warship sprayed cannon fire at the enemy in orderly succession. Though the fire had already dispersed, the entire ship still heeled to starboard under the force of the fierce port broadside. The captain on the bridge also rocked backward; in his field of view, the enemy ship had taken several hits, but its bow cannon still remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although all six gunners, including the gun captain, were straining at the ropes tied to the cannon, the moment it fired, the nine-pounder still dragged them stumbling backward, emitting a heavy rolling sound across the lower deck. When the ship rolled back, white surf appeared outside the gunports and splashed water all over the gun captain nearest the port.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, though the nine-pounder hurtled toward the gunport, the gunners held it fast by sheer force. Like an unwilling beast, the cannon let out a low grinding noise on the deck before stopping its movement. It was immediately hauled back another stretch by the gunners, and the loader thrust a sponge into the still-smoking muzzle, instantly beginning to clean the residue from the bore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each cannon had four powder handlers, divided into two teams that ferried ammunition from the powder magazine to the gun crew. Once the bore was cleaned, the gunners took the powder charge from the handlers, stuffed it directly into the bore, and rammed it all the way to the bottom. The man in front, after seating the powder charge, began loading the cannonball, while another man once again drew out the priming iron, thrust it through the vent to pierce the charge, and then poured in the priming powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When everything was complete, the gun captain patted the barrel and shouted toward the artillery officer on the lower deck: \"Ready!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ready!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ready!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the six calls of \"Ready\" had sounded, the officer struck a copper tube beside him and at the same time tilted his head back to bellow toward the upper deck: \"All prepared!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very soon the order to fire was issued again, and the entire warship fired another broadside. After the broadside, the pirate fleet drew even closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire at will!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the cramped space of the lower deck, the six cannons fired again and again. Wisps of white gunpowder smoke drifted near the gunports. The members of each gun crew were soon drenched in sweat, and the twenty-odd powder handlers raced back and forth at a run, every one of them streaming with sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pirate ships opposite also opened fire. Occasionally the men in the lower hold could hear one or two muffled thuds — that was the ship being struck by enemy cannonballs — but they heard no sound of splintering timber, which meant the enemy's firepower still could not penetrate this ship's outer hull armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain held his telescope with both hands, one forward and one aft. The first target ship now seemed to have fallen far astern, left well behind in the wake. The entire Ming warship column ceaselessly belched flame, and the sea among the pirate formation was everywhere studded with water columns thrown up by cannonballs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pirate ships drew closer. Beside the captain stood the helm station. He turned slightly to glance at the helmsman, whose face was still composed as he looked ahead, his arm steadily gripping the tiller and maintaining the set course. The captain turned back with satisfaction and resumed observing the enemy's movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the lower deck, seeing the fireships pressing ever closer outside the windows, the cannons switched one after another to chain shot. Round after round of chain shot hurtled toward the enemy masts. They shrieked as they ripped great swaths of sail from the enemy yards, or simply spun in circles and smashed the enemy's rigid sails to pieces. From time to time an enemy mast was struck by chain shot: first it tilted, then helplessly snapped and toppled, plunging headlong into the sea with all its rigging and throwing up great bursts of white spray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After chain shot came grapeshot. Any gunner who did not understand this sequence was certainly no gunner trained by Funing Garrison. The muzzles of the nine-pounders were steadily depressed, and only when the gun captain could clearly make out the whiskers on the faces of the pirates holding torches opposite did the cannon spew its full load of projectiles at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The signal had been passed across: \"Hard to starboard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the warships began turning in succession on the sea, the sailors on the upper deck also all snatched up their flintlock muskets and surged together to the ship's rail. Shoulder to shoulder they formed a line and began firing in volleys at the pirates attempting to close alongside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the ships had turned halfway around, the gunners in the lower hold had already lashed the port-side cannons firmly in their positions and at the same time closed and secured the gunports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Starboard side, quick! Quick!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the officer's urgent commands, the gunners, having finished the work at hand, immediately turned and ran to the other side of the ship. Several gunners busied themselves unfastening the starboard cannons from their positions, while the gun captains gently lifted the shutters of the gunports. The billowing emerald sea, the vast sky, and the pirate fleet caught between them once again appeared before the muzzles of the Funing Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the second turn began, many of the Guangdong pirates had already turned and withdrawn from the battle, hoisting sail and fleeing toward the open sea. Liu Xiangqi cursed furiously, but there was nothing he could do about the situation. Even several of his old sworn brothers urged him to abandon Zheng Yiguan and flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon the Ming ships at the rear also sailed up to join the fight. Now it was the Ming army's turn to actively close in for boarding actions. They stood high on the ship's rails, looking down from above, and their volleys poured down like splashing water. The cannons on the warships' broadsides never ceased for a moment, and the water columns they threw up sometimes capsized the pirates' boarding skiffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon the Fujian pirates also began to collapse. Some of their ships ceased resistance, struck their flags, and surrendered. Through nearly two years of campaigning, the Funing Army had earned a good reputation among the pirates. The officers and men of the Funing Army had never executed prisoners of war; even captured ringleaders had not been dragged to the execution ground to be beheaded — it was said they were all securely held in the Funing Garrison prison. As for ordinary pirate soldiers, they were treated even more generously: it was said that before releasing them, Funing Garrison would even issue some travel money so they could return home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Liu Xiangqi and Zheng Yiguan fled back to Xiamen Island, they immediately encountered an armed mutiny. Several minor chieftains wanted to seize this pair — the twin tyrants of the Fujian and Guangdong pirates — to claim a reward. But there was still a small force loyal to them. These two, who had once commanded tens of thousands as great corsairs of the Eastern Sea, were left in the end with only a few hundred diehards. They seized three sea-going vessels and fled Xiamen in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Zheng and Liu having fled, resistance on Xiamen Island promptly collapsed. When the first troops of the Tianyi Battalion landed on Xiamen Island, they were met by throngs of pirates seeking to surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since the Exchange had opened, the Pacify-the-Seas Loan had been trending sluggishly, because Huang Shi had printed another five million taels of Funing notes, which consumed a great deal of Fujian merchant capital. However, on the twenty-third day of the eighth month, after word of the Ming navy's great victory at sea reached Quanzhou, the Pacify-the-Seas bonds on the Quanzhou Exchange began to rise that very day. The next day, news came back that the government troops had recovered Jinmen and Xiamen, and the price immediately hit the upper trading limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days later, after word came of the government troops recovering Tongshan and other places, Huang Shi simultaneously announced that the Securities Exchange would accept Funing notes for trading. As a result, even the Pacify-the-Savages Loan hit the upper limit. Seeing the opportunity was not to be missed, Huang Shi encouraged large numbers of Fujian factory owners and Shandong merchants to list on the market and raise capital to build more factories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi's Securities Exchange was built directly opposite the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission. From that day on, one could often see a group of Fujian Provincial Administration Commission officials in their official robes striding hurriedly back and forth between the Provincial Governor's government office and the Securities Exchange. The latest bull market had earned Zhu Qingtian a thousand taels of silver in just a few days. After the old man received the money at month's end, he too immediately entered the market. From then on, Zhu Qingtian was restless every day in his government office, with no heart for official business. Even at mealtimes, the old man would stand by the window holding his rice bowl, gazing toward the Securities Exchange as he ate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After word of the great victory came back, Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng, while reporting the victory to the imperial court, threw all their efforts into tracking down the whereabouts of Zheng Yiguan and Liu Xiangqi. By the beginning of the ninth month, Huang Shi finally obtained testimony that these two great pirates had already fled to the Guangdong seas, their followers had scattered, and they were basically no longer a serious concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Lord Zhu, we may consider offering amnesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi's words made Zhu Yifeng pause. After the meaning sank in, he asked in return: \"Commander Huang, what is the point of offering amnesty now? The Guangdong Provincial Administration Commission will also want to kick a drowning dog — they may even request that we send troops together. These two men's followers are gone; they are already homeless curs. Sooner or later we will capture them, and then we can behead them and expose their corpses in the marketplace as a warning to others!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Lord Zhu speaks with perfect reason. But these two great pirates are both cunning by nature. If they play hide-and-seek with us at sea, we may not catch them for several years. Taking advantage of the fact that their courage is now shattered, if we spare their lives we should be able to bring them in through amnesty. Besides, these two men have roamed the seas off Fujian and Guangdong for many years and should be very familiar with the hydrography and geography. They likely still have some personal connections in both provinces. If we grant them amnesty now, we can eliminate future trouble once and for all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi had no intention of continuing the fight against Zheng Yiguan and Liu Xiangqi. These two had operated in Japan, Fujian, and Guangdong for so many years that they were bound to have some friends. If they truly continued as pirates, it was not impossible that they could stage a comeback and build up a pirate gang of over a thousand men. And if these two were pressed too hard, they would inevitably grit their teeth and fight Huang Shi to the death. Now that Huang Shi's main objective had been achieved, he did not intend to create more enemies for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yifeng had taken quite a lot of money from Huang Shi, so he could hardly object. He nodded in agreement and said: \"Then let it be so. I leave everything to Commander Huang's full discretion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, my Lord Zhu. In addition, I have one more matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commander Huang, please speak!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the tenth day of the ninth month, after the Fujian memorial reached Beijing, Li Biao looked at the memorial and sighed: \"Everyone who gets connected with Huang Shi prospers. This time Zhu Yifeng pacified the sea bandits without costing the court a single coin. It seems his entry into the cabinet and appointment as Grand Secretary is only a matter of time. Alas, frontier merit is one thing, but to actually earn an appraisal of 'ministerial talent' as well!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Longxi, hearing this, laughed in spite of himself: \"My Lord Li jests. Huang Shi is but a mere military man. It is true that Zhu Yifeng borrowed his frontier merit this time, but the chief credit for this loan is surely still my Lord Zhu's.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Longxi knew that Li Biao was still brooding over the previous incident. But Qian Longxi did not think Huang Shi had such great ability. After hearing Qian Longxi's words, Li Biao stood blankly for a moment, then shook his head and said: \"Hmm, perhaps you are right. But all that aside, I now understand why Zhang Heming is so fond of Huang Shi. If Huang Shi could really be transferred to Liaodong, I would even be willing to go serve as his Army Supervisor and volunteer to oversee the Liaodong campaign.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, Xiapu, Funing Garrison Main Headquarters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering Huang Shi's main camp, Liu Xiangqi and Zheng Yiguan prostrated themselves, both declaring themselves deserving of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To come is not too late. Please rise!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two men were straightforward enough. At a single word from Huang Shi, they sprang to their feet — truly crisp and decisive, without the slightest hint of coyness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please be seated!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Huang Shi gave the instruction, the two exchanged a glance, then first voiced their thanks before both sitting down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terms Huang Shi offered this time were to pardon the two men's capital crimes, and they would not be thrown into prison or sent into military exile. Huang Shi also announced that they would be permitted to land for supplies and live as law-abiding commoners, though they would need to pay a certain amount in reparations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two had originally believed they were doomed to die and had been clinging to the idea of struggling on at sea one day at a time. Upon hearing such favorable terms, they were overjoyed beyond expectation and both hastened to accept the amnesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You two stalwarts are truly dragons of the sea. Huang is far inferior to you both.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Huang Shi said this, Liu Xiangqi and Zheng Yiguan were so startled that they leapt to their feet. Huang Shi gently waved his hand to indicate they need not stand on ceremony. After speaking a few more words, Huang Shi summoned Shi Ce and several staff officers, who carried notebooks recording naval regulations: \"Would you two stalwarts be willing to discuss with me the successes and failures of these two years of campaigning?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men, sensing that Huang Shi seemed to have intentions of recruiting them, roused their spirits and divulged quite a bit of the knowledge stored in their minds. Huang Shi listened with great satisfaction, but in the end he still indicated that he could not take the two into his command: \"You two stalwarts have killed quite many soldiers of Funing Garrison. If our Funing Garrison were to accept you just like that, how would this commander ever face the officers and men of Funing Garrison?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Yiguan's expression did not change much, but Liu Xiangqi already showed very obvious disappointment. Huang Shi, unhurried, slowly laid out his idea: \"Besides, you two stalwarts are long accustomed to following your own ways. This commander fears that military life would not suit you either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raising a hand to forestall Zheng and Liu's protests, Huang Shi produced two letters of appointment: \"These are called letters of marque. Take them and have a look.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In these letters of appointment, Huang Shi recognized the two men as auxiliary personnel of Funing Garrison, authorized to use Funing Garrison's ports, obtain supplies from there, and even purchase ships and organize fleets. They could also continue in their old trade of piracy. However, their purchase of ships had to receive Funing Garrison's approval, their disposal of loot had to be sold to Funing Garrison, and they were not permitted to plunder any ships that Funing Garrison did not authorize them to plunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For example, since you are both auxiliary personnel of Funing Garrison, you may not attack or fight each other. Apart from that, if one day Funing Garrison requires your armed force, you must answer the call and serve me. In any case, so long as you serve me well and do your utmost, I guarantee you will live well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi bit down hard on the word “I,” certain that the two men across from him understood perfectly: “There are always some jobs I can’t very well do myself. Are you willing to do them for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing the two men off, the guards withdrew from the study, and now Huang Shi was alone once more. He rocked gently in the newly made easy chair, arms crossed over his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The late Ming had three great scourges:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The She-An Rebellion in the southwest, which spread across four provinces. The Chongzhen court spent five million taels of silver a year in military funds just to barely suppress it — and even that was only pacification on paper. The chieftains’ uprisings flared up again and again, lasting over a dozen years from the second year of Tianqi onward. This problem Huang Shi had already solved, and far more thoroughly than in history. With the prestige of the White Feather Army, for decades no chieftain in the southwest would dare speak of rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sea bandits of Fujian and Guangdong, along with the Dutch East India Company, who fought one another endlessly to monopolize trade between the Great Ming and overseas. The incessant warfare not only slashed the Great Ming’s maritime trade revenue but also crippled the shipbuilding industries of Fujian and Zhejiang. Now this problem, too, was largely resolved. With the vigorous growth of Fujian’s shipbuilding, the Great Ming’s overseas trade would not decline but would instead surge further. Beyond foreign trade, this abundant transport capacity would sooner or later be deployed in other sea regions, bringing clear benefits to the entire Great Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now only the last problem remained — the final great abscess on the body of the Ming Empire. Ever since arriving in the south, Huang Shi had been racing desperately against time, hoping to return to Liaodong before the Liaodong situation festered beyond repair. He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling, murmuring under his breath: “These three years my gaze has been fixed southward. From now on, I have no more worries behind me. Starting today, I will look to the north.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look north at what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clear, crisp voice rang out behind Huang Shi. The person whom the guards would dare admit into Huang Shi’s study without announcing — in this world there was only one. Oh, no — there were two. Huang Shi threw his body backward with force, watching a figure circle around and pass beside him. Then a heavy body pressed down onto his lap, making the wooden easy chair creak and groan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bent his head to check whether his beloved easy chair had been damaged, muttering under his breath: “You mother and daughter pair really are quite heavy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person laughed: “You dare disdain us, mother and daughter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.” Huang Shi also laughed and stretched out his arms to wrap around her. A little girl had already clambered up onto his shoulder and, in a milky, coquettish voice, wheedled: “Daddy — hold me.”\u003C\u002Fp>",3318,"2026-06-04T07:54:54.057Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","672436aeed817fa8aff676fb7f338b32546e4511220a8bff027962bef953458b","stealing-ming-chapter-310","stealing-ming-chapter-308",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]