Chapter 82: Section Ten

After the meeting dispersed, Zhao Manxiong came to find Huang Shi in a furtive manner: "My lord, your subordinate believes the matter of women must be resolved as soon as possible. Not to mention the soldiers, even the officers have needs."

"I know that, but we don't have enough grain."

"Your subordinate does know of a place where grain is plentiful." Zhao Manxiong blinked, signaling that there were still others beside Huang Shi — Hong Antong and Zhang Zaidi were still listening in.

"It doesn't matter. Are you talking about Shanhai Pass?" Huang Shi was somewhat dismissive of such excessive caution.

"My lord sees clearly."

"I'm afraid it won't work." Shanhai Pass had grain in abundance, but unfortunately Huang Shi lacked sufficient connections in Liaoxi. Even if he had silver, to say nothing of having none, he still couldn't buy grain there.

"I wonder how Lord Gao and Lord Fang are faring? My lord should also write a letter to thank them for their care."

"Mm, let me consider it."

"It would be a private letter, my lord." Zhao Manxiong was anxious that Huang Shi might not grasp his meaning.

"I understand what you mean. You may withdraw for now." A private letter was not an official document and need not be reported to Mao Wenlong at Dongjiang.

In the days that followed, Huang Shi kept hesitating over whether he should write a letter to Shanhai Pass. Based on his last experience, Gao Bangzuo and Fang Zhenru still held a favorable impression of him, and he might be able to borrow some grain.

Yet another concern remained: Huang Shi was now a subordinate of Mao Wenlong. Bypassing one's superior to deal directly with other officials was a grave taboo. After weighing the matter repeatedly, Huang Shi regretfully abandoned the idea.

At the end of the fourth month, a messenger arrived from Dongjiang. After opening Mao Wenlong's letter, Huang Shi read it for a long time without making a sound.

"My lord, what does General Mao's letter say?" He Baodao could endure it no longer and spoke up to ask.

Yang Zhiyuan, beside him, tugged at him: "Don't disturb the lord."

Huang Shi slowly lowered the letter: "Lord Mao wants me to make a trip to Shanhai Pass."

Mao Wenlong's letter had long since been sent to the Liaodong Grand Coordinator. Wang Zaijin was very displeased with Mao Wenlong's bargaining, suspecting Mao Wenlong of trying to coerce his superior, and the tone of his reply was rather stern. Therefore, Mao Wenlong wanted Huang Shi to go to Shanhai Pass himself and explain matters clearly to the Liaodong Grand Coordinator Wang Zaijin in person.

Since it was Huang Shi himself who wanted to remain in Liaodong, he naturally had to make his own position clear. He could not let Mao Wenlong shoulder all the displeasure while he himself curried favor with both sides.

Waves of excitement surged in Huang Shi's heart. Truly, speak of the devil and he shall appear. He had only been turning over the idea of going to Shanhai Pass to beg for food for a few days, and the god of fate had once again opened a door for him.

"I depart tomorrow for Shanhai Pass. Aside from my personal guards, He Baodao and Yang Zhiyuan will both accompany me. All matters on the island will be under Zhao Manxiong's full authority, with Jin Qiude assisting."

He Baodao was idle and bored to distraction all day. Rather than leave him on the island to consume grain and stir up trouble, it was better to take him to Shanhai Pass to eat Guanning's food. Yang Zhiyuan spent all day obsessing over growing grain; if he were left behind, sooner or later he would come to blows with Zhao Manxiong.

"As ordered." The four officers acknowledged in unison.

The greater part of the personal guard unit set out with him. Only Hong Antong, because he was literate, was left behind by Huang Shi on Zhangsheng Island, so that he could report at any time on the actions of Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude. After replying to Mao Wenlong's letter, Huang Shi swiftly put to sea, soon reached Juehua Island, landed at Ningyuan, and traveled south to Shanhai Pass.

Beyond the pass, the land was already a scene of utter devastation. There were not even households along either side of the official road. On the fifth day of the fifth month, Huang Shi arrived at Shanhai Pass, where the scene was completely different.

The encampments of the seventy-thousand-strong Guanning Army covered the hills and plains, their fiery banners dense as a forest. When Huang Shi came, he and his men had all changed into their best uniforms, and every man wore armor. Yet when they arrived before Shanhai Pass, they saw the Guanning troops with their long spears and great blades, their attire brilliant and distinct, their killing aura shaking heaven and earth, which instantly made Huang Shi's subordinates feel a head shorter.

Yang Zhiyuan exclaimed in admiration: "My lord, this is truly a mighty and majestic army."

He Baodao sneered with contempt: "In my view, they are but clay chickens and pottery dogs, monkeys wearing caps. A pity about these weapons — truly a pity."

When he spoke the first part, He Baodao's expression perfectly matched the image of Lord Guan the Second in Huang Shi's mind, but the latter half of the sentence completely shattered the atmosphere. The sour grapes in it nearly made Huang Shi burst out laughing: "The Guanning Iron Cavalry are a genuine field army group, the elite frontier troops the imperial court has poured its resources into supporting. Their equipment is naturally somewhat better than our Dongjiang agricultural garrison troops. What, are you regretting it now?"

"Your subordinates would not dare." He Baodao and Yang Zhiyuan replied at once. Huang Shi knew they were not being entirely truthful, but time would make things clear, and he was not the least bit worried.

Huang Shi waited for some time outside the Grand Coordinator's government office. At first he thought the gate fee was insufficient, and though he found it odd, he still produced more silver. The soldiers at the gate accepted the fee with some embarrassment, and only then told him the truth: more than one person wanted to see him, and until all those officials had assembled, Huang Shi could only wait outside.

The Grand Coordinator's retainers stood far off at the entrance of the main hall. Huang Shi was somewhat startled to see among them — there were actually black men! He rubbed his eyes and scrutinized them carefully; they were indeed black men. The Liaodong soldiers at the gate shrugged at Huang Shi's question; they too had no idea of these black men's origins.

After draining three pots of tea, the long wait finally ended. Huang Shi meticulously adjusted his attire and armor, entered with his head held high, and first bowed to Grand Coordinator Wang Zaijin, who sat in the central seat.

Wang Zaijin laughed heartily: "Huang, the Mobile Corps Commander, why have you come so late?"

"I beg the Grand Coordinator's forgiveness."

"No offense, no offense. Huang, the Mobile Corps Commander, pay your respects to these three lords."

Seated beside Liaodong Grand Coordinator Wang Zaijin were three men. Two of them Huang Shi did not recognize; the other was unmistakably Fang Zhenru. Because of Huang Shi's counterattack on Guangning, Fang Zhenru had not needed to flee on a donkey again. He had earned considerable merit for directing the retreat of over a hundred thousand soldiers and civilians to Shanhai Pass, and thus received very favorable evaluations.

Fang Zhenru had always been renowned for his incorruptibility, celebrated through both the Wanli and Tianqi reigns. Judging from the historical record, his reputation as the foremost incorruptible official during this period was well deserved, and his position as Liaodong Regional Inspector was therefore as steady as Mount Tai.

But Fang Zhenru did not know that he originally would not have lost his post anyway, so he had always felt grateful to Huang Shi for the Guangning counterattack. Fang Zhenru had drawn a lesson from past pain and felt that his greatest previous mistake had been constantly speaking well of Wang Huazhen, which had put him in a very passive position. Therefore, he now absolutely refused to say any good words about Grand Coordinator Wang Zaijin.

The other two men both wore the official robes of the sixth rank. Huang Shi first bowed to them, and only lastly to Fang Zhenru — this order he absolutely dared not reverse. The other two merely nodded slightly; only Fang Zhenru smiled at Huang Shi in greeting.

Wang Zaijin questioned him in detail about the journey to Lushun. Since Kong Youde was not at his side, Huang Shi unceremoniously claimed all the credit for himself. His wild boasting held the four civil officials spellbound. When he recounted the rearguard battle, he embellished it even further, describing a crushing defeat as if it had been a great victory.

After Huang Shi had finished his extravagant bragging, Wang Zaijin also roused himself from his rapture. He coughed twice to indicate he had no further questions. The other two.