Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

In the Quanzhou military camp, Zhou Shixian received the secret letter and rushed to the commander's tent overnight to report it to Zhu Cilang. Zhu Cilang opened the letter, read it carefully, and said with a meaningful smile, "As expected... the Dutch have finally revealed a flaw."

His eyes were sharp, and he said in a deep voice, "Pass the order down, have the commanders of each battalion muster their troops and be on standby. Order Lin Changfeng to lead two thousand elite troops to embark on a ship north tonight and attack the southwest coast of Chikan City from the sea. The Royal Army Battalion and the Wuwei Battalion must be on standby at all times. Once He Nan sends the signal, attack the city immediately!"

The hard work of Guan Shisheng and He Nan, and Sun Yong's life-threatening escape, finally resulted in a key link in this offensive.

Under the night sky, the bonfires of the Quanzhou military camp blazed like stars, illuminating the calm and resolute faces of the soldiers. As the winds and tides surged, a great battle loomed. Victory and defeat would be decided this very night!

A howling north wind swirled over Chikan City, carrying a biting chill through the sturdy walls and rustling the flags on the gatehouse. The south gate slowly opened, a dark crack quietly appearing in the heavy wooden door. Then, four horse heads wrapped in thick cotton cloth silently emerged.

The man leading the horse clung to the wall, his steps steady and cautious, his face covered with a dark cloth, revealing only a pair of alert eyes. The warhorse's hooves were tightly wrapped, and each step made only a very slight rustling sound, which was quickly swallowed up by the whistling wind.

Guan Shisheng walked silently at the end of the group, his gaze calm and focused, his entire being seemingly blending into the night. His two companions followed closely behind him. The three of them walked slowly, occasionally listening for the movements of the sentries on the city wall. At this moment, they were all wearing Han army uniforms. Under the cover of Liu Xun's servants, they took advantage of the darkness to avoid the patrolling Dutch soldiers.

Soon, the team passed through the dark doorway, and darkness engulfed them like a tide. Guan Shisheng stopped and glanced back at the occasional flash of fire on the city wall. After confirming that there was no unusual movement, he lowered his voice and instructed He Xing:
"Remember, follow the foothills. Don't rush. If you run into an ambush by the Red-Haired Demons, immediately retreat into the mountains. Don't hesitate to fight. Once you're over the foothills, even if you lose your horse, you can still reach the hidden ships by running. Then, find your brothers at sea and deliver the intelligence directly to Quanzhou."

He paused, then lowered his voice a bit, "You can decide for yourselves what to do on the way, but no matter what, you must deliver the intelligence to Lord Zhou before sunset the day after tomorrow afternoon. Do you understand?"

He Xing and another team member exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously. They had conducted numerous stealth reconnaissance missions in the area over the past few days and were already familiar with the terrain, including the mountain slopes, river courses, and hidden paths. Furthermore, they had previously received specialized mountain stealth training in Quanzhou, knowing how to exploit the complex terrain to evade the enemy.

However, the danger should not be underestimated. Although the main force of the Dutch army was concentrated in Chikan City, they still laid numerous ambushes on the coastal plains. Ambush troops and scouts were deployed near the foothills to patrol day and night. Since the smuggling route had long been cut off, this dangerous route was the only way for them to transmit intelligence.

Guan Shisheng's gaze fell on He Xing. Seeing his calm demeanor, his nonchalant smile still plastered on his face, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He pondered for a moment, then warned, "Be careful on your journey. In five days, I'll be waiting for you here with a large army—with a large army to reclaim Chikan City!"

"I understand." He Xing grinned, with a hint of uninhibitedness on his face, completely unaware of the danger of this mission. He waved his hand and said with a relaxed smile:

"What's the point of being careful? I'll definitely deliver the information. If I die, you can burn some incense for me and find a clever guy in the Loyal Ministers' Temple to recognize me as his godfather and carry on my family line. There are still several hundred taels of silver left in the bank, enough for him to spend his whole life."

As he spoke, he patted his chest, as if he had put life and death aside while chatting and laughing.

"As for the rest." He Xing waved his hand carelessly, raised the corner of his mouth, and said with a self-deprecating smile, "Don't be so fussy."

Guan Shisheng stared at him in silence for a long time, and finally reached out and patted his shoulder heavily: "Don't worry, I'll wait for you to come back and have a drink."

He Xing chuckled and said, "If you want to drink, drink good wine!"

At this moment, before leaving, Guan Shisheng's eyes were heavy and his voice was low and hoarse: "Let's go."

He paused for a moment, then added, "If something unexpected happens... end it yourself and don't suffer that pain."

He Xing grinned: "If I die, even if I jump into the sea to feed the fish, I will never let the red-haired devil lay a knife on me."

Guan Shisheng nodded gently, then reached out and shook hands with He Xing and another team member. As they shook hands, his fingers gently brushed He Xing's palm, a subtle swipe—his usual code for "proceed with caution and don't fight too long."

He Xing was slightly startled, then made a subtle gesture to indicate that he understood.

The two men mounted their horses, and with a flick of the reins, the horses let out a light puff of white air before slowly heading southwest. Guan Shisheng stood there, watching them disappear into the darkness. Only after the two figures were completely engulfed by the darkness did he slowly turn around and take a deep breath.

The gate of the south gate of Chikan City then closed silently in the darkness and fell into silence again.

The night was thick, a chill wind piercing the face. On the mountain road northwest of Chikan City, two horses galloped at lightning speed. He Xing and his teammate, one in front and one behind, kept a reasonable distance from each other, allowing them to keep watch over each other and prevent being ambushed in the event of an attack.

The two men crouched low on their horses' backs, their bodies swaying gently with their movements, urging their steeds to accelerate while also doing their utmost to suppress the noise of their gallop. Amidst the whistling cold wind, the surroundings were completely silent, save for the rapid clatter of horses' hooves.

The earth seemed to be asleep under the cover of night. Rolling hills could be vaguely seen in the darkness. In the shadows, countless hidden dangers seemed to be lurking in the wilderness.

He Xing held the reins with one hand, the other still clenched on the hatchet at his waist, his palms slightly sweaty. He knew he was nearing the Dutch ambush zone. The hills offered good cover, but they could also harbor enemy spies.

"Don't make a sound, don't stop..."

He Xing secretly warned himself in his heart.

Suddenly, the warhorse under his crotch snorted loudly, its ears trembled frequently, and its front hooves slowed down slightly, obviously sensing something unusual ahead.

He Xing's heart tightened, and he immediately pulled the reins, turning his head and making a gesture to his companion behind him. They both stopped almost at the same time, slowly retreating their horses into the dense bushes beside the road, holding their breath and listening.

The night wind blew by, bringing with it a faint sound of movement - the sound of armor colliding and guns knocking against each other. It was extremely slight, but particularly clear in the night.

"The red-haired devil's scout!"

This thought flashed through He Xing's mind instantly, and he immediately lowered his body and crouched behind the bushes.

Fires then lit up in front, and four or five Dutch soldiers slowly passed by, leading their war horses, with muskets on their shoulders, obviously searching for possible Ming army spies.

He Xing's heart pounded like a drum. He slowly drew the hatchet from his waist with his right hand, his gaze fixed fixedly ahead. If the enemy truly discovered them, they would have no choice but to fight their way out. The flames slowly faded until they were completely lost at the end of the mountain path.

He Xing then slowly exhaled and turned to look at his companions: "Let's go quickly, while they have finished their patrol, we have to seize the time."

As the night deepened, He Xing led his men and their warhorses along the winding path along the foothills. The north wind blew freely through the forest, swaying the shadows of the trees. Occasionally, a night owl's low cry seemed to hint at unknown danger.

They walked extremely slowly, each step treading on the thick, dead leaves, trying not to alert any lurking enemies. He Xing kept a constant eye on his surroundings, his hand always on the dagger at his waist, ready to react at any moment. Suddenly, a faint metallic clang sounded in the distance, like armor clashing. He Xing's heart trembled, and he immediately waved behind him, signaling the team members to stop.

In the darkness, he caught a glimpse of several Dutch soldiers walking slowly towards the mountain road not far away, holding muskets in their hands, and could vaguely hear them talking in low voices.

"Damn it." He Xing cursed in his heart and lowered his voice to say to the person behind him: "Loosen the reins and disperse quickly."

He quickly crouched in the bushes beside the road, lowering himself so low that he practically blended with the ground. The flames grew closer, and the footsteps of the Dutch soldiers were distinctly audible. He Xing held his breath, staring intently in their direction. The flames flickered for a moment, then faded away. He Xing finally exhaled slowly, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

He looked back at his team members and whispered, "Let's go!"

The few of them quickly reunited and hid in the night again.

The sky was already fading as He Xing and his teammates finally reached the agreed-upon abandonment point. Ahead lay the coastal forest. If they could cross it, they would reach the sampan hidden among the reefs along the coast.

"Forget the horses, let's go!" He Xing jumped off his horse, patted the horse's rump, and let it run away on its own. The two of them plunged into the dense forest, moving quickly among the tangled trees.

The forest was thick with fog, and beneath the slippery leaves lay mud. He Xing stepped on it and nearly slipped. He cursed softly, steadied himself, and continued forward. Suddenly, a low shout came from behind him, followed by the sound of branches being crushed. He Xing turned around and saw a blurry black figure quietly approaching them.

"Hurry!" He Xing shouted, quickly leading his teammates down a slope. A few quick shouts followed by the roar of musketry. Bullets scraped past tree trunks, sending up a shower of debris.

"Damn it!" He Xing gritted his teeth, pulled his teammates together and ran as fast as he could. After a few moments, the shouts of the pursuers gradually faded in the forest. He Xing finally stopped, holding onto a tree and gasping for breath.

"Let's go, we're almost to where the boat is hidden!"

The wind whistled in his ears, and the chill penetrated his clothes and penetrated his bones. He Xing hunched over his horse, his body bent, and he hunched over the reins tightly with both hands. The warhorse was panting, and white mist occasionally spurted out of its mouth. The horse's hooves pounded heavily on the muddy and uneven mountain road, splashing dust.

The two war horses were exhausted. Although He Xing had fed them salt and beans along the way, forcing them to continue running, this temporary stimulation was ultimately unable to withstand the rapid depletion of their physical strength. Before long, these two horses would collapse by the roadside like the two abandoned horses before them.

However, He Xing had no time to feel bad. He knew very well that if he stopped now, abandoned his horse and started walking, his speed would drop significantly. And if he slowed down, the danger behind him would only get closer.

Suddenly, a dull "whoosh" pierced the night sky, and the sound of a sharp crossbow arrow breaking through the air exploded in my ears.

"There's an ambush!"

He Xing's heart tightened, and he instinctively leaned forward on his horse's back. A crossbow arrow whizzed past his back, tearing a corner of his coat. The arrowhead pierced the tree trunk in front with a "twang". Before he could catch his breath, another arrow whistled through the air from his right. Then, from the side of the mountain path, two dark figures suddenly pounced.

"Damn it!"

He Xing gritted his teeth and growled, his hand trembling as he spurred his horse forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one man slashing at him with a dagger, while another, with a crossbow in hand, was about to take aim. Almost instantly, a flash of cold light flashed in He Xing's hand, and the hatchet he had prepared flew out of his hand.

"puff!"

The black figure who rushed forward with the knife screamed and stumbled to the ground, blood spurting from his shoulder. The other man, seeing the situation was not good, quickly dodged to the side, avoiding the hatchet.

"Oops!"

He Xing knew he didn't have time to fight, so he immediately drew his saber and slapped the warhorse's butt hard. The warhorse neighed in pain and ran away with all its might. At the same time, He Xing whispered, "Go!"

However, He Xing was unsure whether the team behind him could also successfully break through. He did not dare to look back. The sound of arrows rang out again behind him, and there was a chaotic shouting in the distance. It was obvious that other Dutch ambush troops had heard the commotion and were rapidly approaching here.

The next morning, He Xing and his team arrived at the hiding place. The sampan was quietly moored among the reefs on the coast. When several boatmen saw them, they immediately pushed the boat into the water.

The sea breeze caressed his face, and the morning light shone on the rolling waves. Behind the reef, several boatmen were already waiting by the sampan. He Xing jumped onto the bow, turned around, and held out his hand to his teammates: "Come on!"

The boatmen quickly raised the sails, and with the help of the tide, the sampan slowly moved away from the shore. He Xing stood at the bow, gazing at the distant Chikan City, which was faintly visible in the morning light, with a determined gaze.

The morning light was just beginning to break, and the sea breeze, carrying a fishy and salty smell, blew towards him. He clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with determination as he said, "Chikan City, wait for our return."

Although He Xing was nominally Guan Shisheng's subordinate, he didn't blindly worship his immediate superior. For veteran warriors like him, who roamed the brink of life and death and had experienced countless battles, the word "admiration" was not something they expressed lightly. They believed that success depended on one's own abilities, and the distinctions between superiors and subordinates were merely a reflection of status, not necessarily a genuine admiration.

Of course, they were genuinely impressed by someone like Zhou Shixian. His far superior insights and methods, his ability to manipulate the situation and turn the tide, were beyond their reach. Faced with such a figure, He Xing and his companions naturally displayed absolute obedience.

Guan Shisheng was well aware of He Xing's "rebelliousness," but he didn't care. In his view, true obedience was never based on superficial respect, but on the ability to take on tasks and complete missions at critical moments. (End of this chapter)