Chapter 319: Section 61: A Heavy Responsibility (Middle) (II)

On the first day of the twelfth month of the second year of the Chongzhen reign, at Luanzhou.

Early that morning, Sun Chengzong's handwritten letter was the first to reach Luanzhou. In the letter, he guaranteed that Zu Dashou and the other generals could receive amnesty. The Maneater felt even more at ease after seeing this. With Sun Chengzong and Huang Shi jointly vouching for him, the Maneater felt his own life was absolutely secure. All that remained was figuring out how to follow Huang Shi and earn a share of the battle honors.

"The Jianzhou slaves should still be at the foot of the capital right now. They won't be willing to leave before the provincial relief armies march into the capital region. They'll certainly plunder on a grand scale, then use that wealth to draw in more Mongols and thoroughly crush the Chahar Mongols." Ever since learning that Yuan Chonghuan had been thrown into prison, Huang Shi no longer worried that the capital would have any problems. Now what he pondered was how to deal a heavy blow to the Later Jin.

In the past, although the Later Jin won battle after battle, the Great Ming, with its enormous advantage in national strength, could always let the strategic situation automatically revert to one where the Ming was on the strategic offensive and the Later Jin on the strategic defensive. It was like two people playing chess: if one side starts without both chariots, then even if he is a national champion, as long as his opponent is an ordinary person, he can be pressed into constant peril.

But once the Later Jin pulled the Mongols into its military alliance, it would be like giving the Later Jin side two chariots to make up the deficit. The two sides would then need to be evenly matched in skill just to attack and defend on equal footing. Historically, the Ming court never again produced a military strategist who could compare with Hong Taiji, and from then on, the Ming and the Later Jin reversed roles in attack and defense. Huang Shi suspected that at that point, even if Sun Chengzong were replaced by Xiong Tingbi, they might not have been able to turn it around.

Although Huang Shi now had an army that surpassed the era, he still had to work with a political bloc like the Donglin Party, so he still hoped to deny Hong Taiji the chance to draw the Mongols into an alliance. Huang Shi was determined to make Hong Taiji pay a price, and to ensure that even more of those Mongols who had followed Hong Taiji in to plunder would be left behind, lest the other Mongol tribes also start thinking the Great Ming was easy to bully.

After listening to Huang Shi lay out his plan, the several generals stared at him in silence. Huang Shi smiled and said, "Originally I only intended to lift the siege of Yongping first, then at most attack Qian'an to protect our flank. But then I thought further: if we really can take Qian'an, then why not seize the chance to seal off all the passes on the border wall? We military men need enemy heads. As long as we can trap the Jianzhou slaves inside the passes, I expect we'll take no fewer than twenty thousand heads this time."

Yao Yuxian nodded in agreement. "More, not fewer. Since the Jianzhou slaves broke through Xifengkou, I'm afraid that with each passing day, more Western Barbarians have been swarming in to loot while the house burns. These past two years there's been a great drought in Monan, and many Western Barbarian herders are finding it hard to survive."

Jin Guan added, "Amin and Daišan are both still at Liaoyang, and the Jianzhou slaves still have to guard all of Liaodong, so the Eastern Barbarians' numbers won't increase by much."

"According to General Zu, Hong Taiji brought only pure Heavy Armor Soldiers into the passes, correct?" Huang Shi estimated that the Later Jin had no more than a few thousand Heavy Armor Soldiers. This time, Hong Taiji embraced the idea that troops are valued for quality, not quantity, and had little interest in fighting tough battles. Even if his Mongol allies grew somewhat more numerous, Huang Shi was not too afraid. The fighting will and equipment of the Mongol troops likely could not compare to the Later Jin's core elite, the Heavy Armor Soldiers.

"Yes, it looks like there might be three or four thousand," the Maneater said quietly. This time, Hong Taiji did not operate by banner but instead drew out the elite from every niru to form his army. This force of four thousand men was essentially the Later Jin's entire core elite.

"Good. As long as we can seal off all the passes on the Ji Garrison's border wall in time, the Liaodong war can be settled in a single campaign." Huang Shi knew what his several allies were worried about—they all feared that failing to rush to Beijing would bring trouble. "The heads from this campaign's achievements will be shared equally with you gentlemen. Should the court assign blame, I, Huang Shi, will bear it alone."

Huang Shi's credibility was very good. Yao Yuxian and the others hurriedly protested that they dared not, though inwardly they were all eager to give it a try. Huang Shi was invincible. If they really could trap tens of thousands of Northern Barbarians inside the passes in time, the heads each man received would certainly be far from few.

After the men had finished their discussions, they began to debate when to break camp and set out. Huang Shi's Vanguard Battalion had only just finished arriving at Shanhai Pass today, so he had originally planned to set out tomorrow. This was mainly out of consideration for secrecy. He estimated that the moment he appeared before the Later Jin army, the enemy would report to Hong Taiji at top speed, so Huang Shi believed he had best prepare thoroughly beforehand, and that once he struck, it must be with the force of a sudden thunderclap that leaves no time to cover the ears.

Although Huang Shi had reported his arrival to the court, he was not too worried about leaks from the court's side. Because even if Hong Taiji heard such rumors, he would suspect the Ming court was deliberately laying a false trail. Right now, his Mongol allies were in the thick of looting with great enthusiasm. If Hong Taiji fled at the rumor and raced all the way out of the passes only to discover he had been duped, what would his Mongol allies think of him then?

Just as the men were about to finalize the departure date, they heard a clamor of men and horses outside. Soon an inner guard loudly reported from outside the tent: "Grand Commander, an imperial envoy has arrived. He says he brings an imperial rescript from His Majesty."

Envious expressions immediately appeared on the faces of Yao Yuxian and the others. An imperial rescript that required no countersignature from the Grand Secretariat was usually some kind of reward. Here Huang Shi had not even come close to reaching the capital yet, and merely by reporting to the Emperor he had rewards to receive—this imperial favor was truly something no other military officer could compare to. Other relief armies, even after rushing to the walls of the capital, did not necessarily receive imperial rewards at once, yet the one for Huang Shi had been delivered all the way to the front, over a hundred li. It did not seem like it would be a light reward either; otherwise, it would be making a great fuss over a trifle.

At first, Huang Shi thought much the same as Yao Yuxian and the others. He figured it would be nothing more than gold coins, silver taels, armor, and fine robes, so he went out quite calmly, knelt, and prepared to receive the decree. But after the envoy had read only a few lines, the men accompanying Huang Shi before the incense altar to receive the decree were all dumbstruck with terror. By the time the entire imperial edict had been read, Huang Shi still had not immediately given thanks and accepted it.

"I reverently inquire after His Majesty's well-being. May He live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand of ten thousand years."

After a long moment, when these words from Huang Shi were finally heard, the tense expression on the imperial envoy's face instantly relaxed. But at once he stiffened his face again and answered with authority, "His Sacred Majesty is well."

Huang Shi knelt upright with solemnity for a moment. Then he performed another grand prostration: "I reverently thank His Majesty for his heavenly grace. May He live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand of ten thousand years."

"The heavenly grace is boundless—"

"Grand Commander!" Before the envoy could finish that sentence, Jin Qiude and Li Yunrui, standing to the left and right, threw themselves forward at the same time. They shouted in unison, "Grand Commander, this decree cannot be accepted!"

The two men, allowing no explanation, pulled Huang Shi up from the ground, one on the left and one on the right. While desperately apologizing to the envoy, they dragged Huang Shi aside. Jin Qiude said urgently, "Grand Commander, the moment you accept this decree, you will become the public enemy of every civil official at court—perhaps even the public enemy of every civil official under Heaven!"

"Yes. Grand Commander, if you refuse the decree, at worst—" Li Yunrui cast a glance toward the envoy, then pulled Huang Shi another step farther away and lowered his voice: "Grand Commander, if you refuse the decree, at worst it will make His Majesty a little displeased. But as long as we can win battles, this small displeasure of His Majesty's will pass. Yet the moment you accept this decree, you, Grand Commander, will become a thorn in the civil officials' eyes, a spike in their flesh."

Huang Shi let out a sigh.

This time, Chongzhen had given him full authority to command the armies in the capital region, and further demanded that he do his utmost to seize the common people back, "permitting not a single one of my people to be carried off by the slaves beyond the passes." Huang Shi had originally planned to go and block Hong Taiji's retreat in secret, and had been constantly worried that a civil official army supervisor would forcibly order him to withdraw. Now, as long as he accepted this decree, Huang Shi could carry out military operations openly and legitimately, with no need at all to fear that anyone would come and give blind orders. "His Majesty wants me to save the common people. This command secretly aligns with my own intent. I cannot, for the sake of keeping myself safe, betray these common people."

In the distance, the imperial envoy was already so angry his face had turned ashen, and he was nearly ready to flick his sleeves and leave. Yang Zhiyuan was beside the envoy, laboriously speaking kind words, and from time to time casting a glance over toward Huang Shi. Yao Yuxian and the others were also accompanying Yang Zhiyuan in speaking kind words to the envoy. The Maneater, his face wreathed in smiles, was stretching out his hands to block the envoy's path.

Jin Qiude and Li Yunrui exchanged another glance. Once again, with united purpose, they tugged Huang Shi and dragged him two more steps away.

"Grand Commander—" Jin Qiude squeezed out an extremely faint voice from between clenched teeth; even Huang Shi right beside him could barely make it out clearly. "Grand Commander, if you accept this decree today, in the future you will surely die without a burial place. When that day truly comes, Grand Commander, will you just fold your hands and wait to be killed?"

Li Yunrui also drew close to Huang Shi and, in a voice as soft as a mosquito's whine, asked, "Grand Commander, when that day truly comes, once the great purge begins, we who have followed you will also be smashed to pieces along with you. Grand Commander, if today you do not betray the common people, then you betray us. Grand Commander, we still have parents to support, wives and children to raise."

Huang Shi glanced back. Yang Zhiyuan was wedged in the crowd saying something. All around, a great many officers wearing white plumes were looking toward him with trusting eyes. Huang Shi drew a long breath and said to the two men beside him, "If I do not betray the common people today, then in the future I will absolutely never betray you."

Jin Qiude and Li Yunrui gently released their grip. Huang Shi turned and strode back to the incense altar. The officers, who had been in disarray, also hurriedly ran back to their positions. Huang Shi once again performed a grand prostration:

"Your servant, Huang Shi, eternally submits to these instructive words! May He live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand of ten thousand years."

"Marshal!"

"Marshal!"

After the imperial envoy had left, the Funing Army erupted in mountain-toppling, sea-splitting cheers. Their Regional Commander had finally reached the pinnacle for a Ming military officer, taking the seat once occupied by Xu Da and Li Wenzhong.

The golden command arrow was solemnly put away by Huang Shi. With this bestowed object in hand, even a Provincial Governor would have to submit to Huang Shi's command. Ten thousand Funing Army troops, fifteen thousand Guan-Ning Army troops, and over ten thousand able-bodied men from the military households of Liaoxi were already drawn up in formation outside the camp. Surrounded by his generals, Huang Shi walked out of the camp, prepared to lead them at once toward Yongping. Secrecy no longer held any meaning now.

"Plagiarism is shameful, but this time I'll just have to make use of it." Seeing that the Guan-Ning Army's morale was far less high than the Funing Army's, Huang Shi called over several inner guards and gave them whispered instructions. The inner guards then gladly took the order and departed.

After the troops were arrayed along the road, Huang Shi began to ride along the ranks, reviewing the army that was fully equipped and ready to march. The several inner guards, holding tin megaphones, followed close behind Huang Shi and, straining their necks, loudly demanded of the tens of thousands of Ming officers and soldiers:

"Who was it at Jinzhou—who with six hundred troops routed eight thousand Jianzhou slaves?"

Countless soldiers of the Funing Army answered fervently: "It was the Marshal!"

"Who was it at Gaizhou—who beat the Jianzhou slaves so badly they dared not take a single step outside their gates?"

Even more soldiers roared back: "It was the Marshal!"

"Who was it at Nanguan—who thrashed the slave chieftain until he threw away his helmet and armor?"

This time, several thousand Guan-Ning Army soldiers also cheered loudly along with the Funing Army: "It was the Marshal, it was the Marshal!"

"Who was it at Fuzhou..."

"It was the Marshal!"

"Who was it at Juehua..."

Yao Yuxian vigorously waved his fists; he had nearly shouted himself hoarse: "It was the Marshal, it was the Marshal, it was the Marshal!"

"Who was it at Haizhou... who was it at Chishui... who was it at Fuqing... who was it at..."

The inner guards shouted out the final question in unison: "Who was it who charged his horse into Liaoyang and slew the slave chieftain in combat?"

"The Marshal!"

"The Marshal!"

"The Marshal!"

The cheers of tens of thousands of men rose wave upon wave. Huang Shi rode straight to the very front of the army. He gently removed his helmet, blew on the white plume atop it, then stretched his arm out as far as he could and raised his helmet high, so that more men could see it. Then Huang Shi vigorously swung the helmet left and right in two wide arcs.

The sound behind him fell silent in an instant. Huang Shi swept his helmet behind his head, then pointed it straight ahead—toward the direction of Yongping. He pressed his horse's belly and took the lead, heading north.

Drums sounded from both sides at once. With firm, resolute steps, the great body of Ming troops followed close behind Huang Shi, surging mightily toward Yongping.