Chapter 66: Section Fourteen

"Jin Qiude, stop." Huang Shi had been running over and, seeing the situation, hurriedly intervened to prevent things from escalating further, while loudly ordering all officers and soldiers to stop.

Huang Shi's own subordinates naturally obeyed and jumped back. Kong Youde's subordinates also dared not show disrespect to Huang Shi, and collectively clasped their fists in salute.

"What's going on here?"

"They called our big brother a manure-pit general." The speaker was Zhang Pan. After saying this, he pointed angrily at a soldier on the opposite side: "It was him!"

The soldier Zhang Pan pointed at had a large black shadow around his right eye socket, half his face was swollen high, and his clothes were torn in several places. When Huang Shi first saw him, this soldier was still very agitated, several times trying to break free from the comrades holding him back to charge forward, but the moment Zhang Pan's words came out, he immediately wilted.

Huang Shi stared at this soldier, staring until the man's hairs stood on end all over his body. With a thud, the soldier dropped to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly: "General Huang, forgive my crime."

"General Huang, this cur truly deserves to be beaten to death, but he has indeed rendered some merit along the way. General Huang, in your great magnanimity..." The speaker seemed to be a squad-leader-like headman. After finishing the first part, he couldn't think of what to say next for a moment, so he turned and fiercely kicked the soldier twice: "You dog, that foul mouth of yours, I'll kick you to death!"

"Stop. I never said I was going to do anything to him." Huang Shi finally spoke.

"Thank you, General Huang." The headman hurriedly gave thanks, then launched another kick that sent the soldier rolling. "Hurry up and thank General Huang for sparing your life."

"No rush to thank me. Get up and answer my questions." As he spoke, Huang Shi swept his gaze around the circle of soldiers and saw that his own subordinates all had smug expressions on their faces.

"Why did you call me a manure-pit general?" Huang Shi put on what he considered his most amiable smile.

"General Huang, forgive my crime." The soldier immediately prostrated himself again.

"It wasn't just one. Him, him, him, and him too — they all said it." Zhang Pan pointed them out one by one, chin held high and chest puffed out. A whole patch of men on the opposite side immediately dropped to their knees.

"What exactly happened? You tell me." Huang Shi gave Zhang Pan an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

Greatly emboldened, Zhang Pan immediately spilled everything he knew, like pouring out a bag of melon seeds.

Huang Shi quickly figured out the whole story. The origin lay in the sanitation regulations he had set for his subordinates. Over the past two days, his men had been following his orders, digging latrines the moment they made camp. Kong Youde's subordinates found this novel and came to ask why they went out of their way to build latrines.

Huang Shi's subordinates had no goodwill toward Kong Youde's soldiers and naturally couldn't be bothered to answer them. Kong Youde's men already looked down on them to begin with, so they secretly started calling them manure-pit soldiers.

Later, when others asked them about this matter, Huang Shi's men — who originally hadn't much liked digging latrines — now used mockery to pay Kong Youde's soldiers back: "This is our lord's order. What the hell do you know?"

And so, without Huang Shi knowing a thing about it, he had acquired the nickname "manure-pit general." Today, when they started digging latrines again, a few troublemakers among the onlookers called them the manure-pit general's manure-pit soldiers.

Huang Shi's subordinates were naturally furious to a man. At first they only wanted to argue it out, but no one expected that the young and hot-blooded Zhang Pan, without a single word, would pick out the loudest one, circle around beside him, and land a punch.

That soldier with the least restraint on his mouth had been spouting off, spittle flying — he was the very soldier first pointed out earlier, and the big black circle around his eye socket was also Zhang Pan's handiwork. Zhang Pan's single punch knocked him to the ground, then he was fiercely kicked several more times. After that, there was nothing the least bit strange about it — a mass brawl erupted.

"So that's how it is." Huang Shi gave a snort and questioned his subordinates: "Then did you tell them why I want latrines dug?"

"Who'd be happy to tell them?" Zhang Pan grinned wide, still gesturing toward Kong Youde's men.

"So they call me the manure-pit general!" Huang Shi gave another heavy snort. This time even Zhang Pan could tell Huang Shi's tone was displeased. He immediately shut his mouth and lowered his head.

"All of you — sit!" Huang Shi drew a circle with his hand and ordered Kong Youde's soldiers to all sit down. Then he himself squatted down and vividly explained why he wanted latrines dug, what benefits they would bring, as well as some experience and techniques from these days of digging latrines and handling the aftermath.

"Heh heh, that's how it is." Having finished his lengthy discourse, Huang Shi clapped his hands and stood up, smiling as he addressed all the onlookers: "General Kong is formidable in battle — call him the Ever-Victorious General. I dig manure pits to keep everyone from getting sick. From now on, everyone can just call me the Manure-Pit General, and let the whole army know the contribution I, Huang Shi, have made."

"General Huang is magnanimous. We lowly ones know our fault." Watching the soldiers before him bow collectively once more, Huang Shi knew this admission of fault was far more sincere than the one moments ago.

"Mm." Huang Shi had already made a decision while speaking earlier, so he called over that headman: "Take me to see General Kong."

Huang Shi ran into the man himself just before reaching Kong Youde's tent. Kong Youde, having heard that a dispute had broken out, had also hurried over. After hearing how Huang Shi had handled it, Kong Youde first offered a few words of praise, then flew into a great rage and wanted to punish those unlucky soldiers. Huang Shi expressed his opposition very firmly.

Kong Youde, who had only intended to put on a show to begin with, cursed those soldiers a while longer, then took the opportunity to let them go.

Once they reached Kong Youde's station, he asked: "Huang Shi, did you come to see me about something?"

"I intend to entrust my subordinates to General Kong." Huang Shi stated his purpose plainly.

"You're saying you want to hand your men over to me to lead?" Kong Youde stared at Huang Shi in astonishment, very surprised by this proposal.

"Yes. My ability to command troops is far inferior to Brother Kong's, so I am giving them to Brother Kong."

"That won't do." Kong Youde flatly refused. "Brother Huang simply lacks experience. It will pass with time."

"Then let's wait until it passes." Huang Shi said with a grin. "Brother Kong, I am completely sincere."

Seeing that Huang Shi's expression did not seem feigned, Kong Youde hesitated but ultimately agreed: "Fine. I will help you manage them for now, and return them to you when we reach Lüshun."

"Good." Huang Shi extended his hand toward Kong Youde, and the two immediately clasped hands. "Brother Kong, now is precisely the time to pull together in the same boat. Unified command is essential."

Those words were indeed true, but they were normally the kind of thing said by someone who wanted to seize another's military authority. This Huang Shi really is an interesting one, Kong Youde thought to himself, showing only a faint smile on his face: "Brother Huang speaks truly."

"But Brother Kong can't just take my one hundred cavalry for nothing." Huang Shi still wore that grinning expression.

Oh, there it is — of course there's a condition. Kong Youde smiled faintly again: "General Huang, please speak."