Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 180 The Wind Rises in Datong
On the official road leading from Datong Town to the settlement.

The wind in the border region had taken on a knife-like chill, whipping up dust and howling as it swept across the bare tree branches.

It was still early, and the sun hung lazily in the sky, its light weak and powerless, unable to dispel the desolation and cold of the world.

In the midst of this silence, the rapid sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, like a rolling thunderclap, shattering the tranquility of the morning.

A troop of elite cavalry appeared on the horizon, their armor gleaming coldly in the dim light, and the dust they kicked up resembled a yellow dragon, heading straight for a small porter's quarters beside the official road.

"Uu——"

The lead guard reined in his horse swiftly and decisively.

He dismounted, pulled out a document covered with sealing wax from his pocket, and strode into the shop.

Before long, a soldier rushed out, a feather stuck in his hair, and ran eastward.

In the procession, a young general dressed in a flying fish robe also dismounted.

He looked to be no more than nineteen years old; he was none other than Wang Shide, the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He ignored the departing soldiers and went straight to a newly erected wooden platform next to the courier post, looking up and shouting:
"I've got a job! I've got a job! Get the hell out here!"

The shout was full of energy and pierced through the wind.

A head immediately popped out from the platform, and then another person emerged from under the platform, rubbing their sleepy eyes.

Wang Shide held the envelope high in his hand and said loudly, "Class A beacon fire, seventeen characters, send the message immediately!"

Upon hearing that it was a "Class A Beacon Fire," the man below jolted awake, instantly becoming alert and not daring to be negligent in the slightest. He quickly reached out to take it, bowing and scraping as he said:
"Yes, sir! I'll get on it right away!"

After saying that, he grabbed the rope ladder hanging from the side of the wooden platform and nimbly climbed up in a few moves.

A moment later, a huge red flag rose from the top of the wooden platform, waving in a figure-eight pattern against the cold wind for a moment.

More than ten miles away, on another similar high platform, there seemed to be faint flags waving, but they were difficult to see clearly with the naked eye.

After the flag signaling was completed, the cantilever on the platform began to slowly rotate, posing at different angles to project the seventeen characters one by one.

The escorting cavalry had already scattered with a whistle, forming a loose perimeter a hundred paces away, lazily observing their surroundings.

General Ma Shilong of Jizhou, Governor Zhang Fengyi of Datong, and General Qu Jiazhen of Datong had already dismounted and stood quietly to the side, watching Wang Shide direct everything in an orderly manner.

Ma Shilong glanced subtly at the other two, and only after Wang Shide finished arranging everything did he ask:
"Wang Qianshi, is this 'Thousand-Mile Lightning Transmission Station' truly capable of sending a message back and forth to the capital within a single day?"

Wang Shide cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his young face beaming with pride, and said with a smile:

“Commander Ma, the brothers privately call it ‘radio station,’ not at all that ‘lightning-fast’ name, it’s too awkward to say.”

"Your report, with its seventeen codes, will reach the capital in no more than two hours."

"If His Majesty approves immediately, you will receive a reply by the end of Shen Shi (3-5 PM)."

"Two hours..." General Qu Jiazhen of Datong looked at the somewhat simple wooden platform with great interest, clicking his tongue in amazement. "This method is derived from the beacon fire communication, but it is far superior. It uses a suspended arm to show the shape and a telescope to observe it. The links are interlocked. It is truly a genius idea."

Standing to the side, Zhang Fengyi, the governor of Datong, stroked his beard and sighed, "This method of reporting border emergencies is indeed incomparably sharp. It takes only two hours to reach the capital. If it were to reach the Shanxi town, wouldn't it be even faster? It's just a pity that ordinary official documents often have hundreds or thousands of words, so we don't need such a powerful tool."

Since taking over his father's position, Wang Shide has devoted himself to building this radio station system.

Hearing everyone's praise, he felt honored and could no longer suppress his youthful desire to share.

"Governor Zhang is mistaken!"

He couldn't help but straighten his chest, and his voice rose a few decibels.

"The speed of message transmission depends on two factors: distance and number of characters. The greater the distance, the more relay stations there are, and the slower it will be. The fewer the characters, the faster each station can transmit, record, and verify the message."

He read it out slowly and deliberately: "For example, 'Cha Han, 50,000, Kou, Datong'."

"Gentlemen, please look at this military intelligence report. It has seven characters and four codes. Adding the four standard codes for the sender, receiver, time, and alert level, it only has eight codes in total!"

Wang Shide raised a finger and laughed, "One hour, it will be on His Majesty's desk in one hour!"

Zhang Fengyi smiled slightly, about to say something, but Wang Shide's face was already flushed, and he excitedly interrupted:

"In fact, the efficiency of radio stations is far more than that! The methods of radio broadcasting are changing daily, practically changing every single day!"

"Before I left the capital, I heard from the craftsmen in the department that if the method of polishing the lenses of the telescope could be further improved, thus doubling the observation distance, the distance between the telescopes could be increased, the number of transfers could be reduced, and the speed would naturally increase!"

"And then there's the encoding method! His Majesty personally taught the wonders of 'short and long encoding.' He said that frequently used characters should be replaced with short codes, while rare characters should be replaced with long codes. In this way, the total number of characters in ordinary military reports and official documents can be greatly reduced!"

“Even more so, some say that the words and phrases used in different places are different. In the capital, ‘部议’ and ‘上谕’ are commonly used, while in the border towns, ‘入寇’ and ‘三万’ and ‘五万’ are commonly used. If we can adapt to local conditions and set up different codes, the efficiency can be improved to another level!”

Wang Shide became more and more excited as he spoke, his face beaming with pride.

"With so many incidents happening in quick succession, in a few months, when the alarm from Datong reaches the capital, it might only take the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"

He spoke eloquently and with great enthusiasm.

The three high-ranking officials opposite them were completely bewildered. Ma Shilong was somewhat better off, as he was the one who received the written instructions and had discussed some of it with his advisors.

Today's question was mainly intended for the other two to hear.

The expressions on Zhang Fengyi and Qu Jiazhen's faces were rather subtle.

They understand that if the telescope were improved, it could see further; it's just that the beacon towers would be further apart.

But the terms "misaligned coding," "short code long code," and "different codebooks" sounded like gibberish to them, making them feel dizzy and confused.

However, both men were seasoned officials who had been navigating the political landscape for many years and were quite shrewd. Naturally, they wouldn't embarrass a young Imperial Guard over such a trivial matter.

Whether they understood or not, they always wore a perfectly appropriate smile, nodding occasionally, as if they thought, "I see," or "I agree."

For a time, the atmosphere was quite pleasant, but Wang Shide was so engrossed in the conversation that fine beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose in the cold wind.

Fortunately, the telegram was short, lasting only about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, when the person on the wooden platform leaned out and loudly reported:
"Wang, Class A telegram, sent three times as per regulations, confirmed!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shide immediately stopped talking, his expression turned solemn, and he bowed to the three of them.

"My lords, according to regulations, a Class A telegram requires secondary confirmation by the flag officers along the route. I must proceed to the next station for verification, so I will take my leave now!"

Having said that, he didn't hesitate at all. He turned around, took a few big steps to the front of the horse, mounted it, squeezed his legs together, and with only a clear "Giddy up!" he galloped eastward along the official road, soon becoming just a small black dot.

The scene fell silent instantly, with only the sound of the wind and the impatient snorting and pawing of the warhorses.

Zhang Fengyi and Qu Jiazhen exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of relief in each other's eyes.

After a long pause, Governor Zhang Fengyi broke the silence with a dry laugh: "Hehe, this Vice Commissioner Wang is indeed... decisive and efficient, a young talent indeed."

Ma Shilong nodded and casually replied, "It's always a good thing to be energetic. He's more approachable than the other Imperial Guards I've met before."

He gave a perfunctory reply, but his body had already turned around, and he looked at the two of them calmly.

Beneath that calm exterior lay an undeniable sharpness.

"My lords, a few days ago, there was an urgent military situation. I was going to send you a telegram from His Majesty. You can still discuss matters of state and military importance. However, the official seals and seals cannot be replaced. We need to wait for the imperial decree."

"But... His Majesty's decree arrived yesterday, shouldn't you two... have received it?"

The atmosphere subtly shifted at that moment.

Governor Zhang Fengyi's smile remained unchanged, still as warm and friendly as ever. He cupped his hands and said, "Governor Ma is too kind. Since the imperial court has issued a clear decree, we local officials will naturally comply. Datong will do its utmost to procure all the necessary provisions, soybeans, and weapons to ensure the army's supply without delay."

He said he would "do his best to raise funds," but he didn't mention a word about sending troops or people.

General Qu Jiazhen went even further, stepping forward and clasping his hands in greeting:
"Governor Ma, I have already transferred a hundred veteran soldiers who are familiar with the geography and water resources of Mongolia from various forts along the border, as well as several pacification officers who have dealt with various tribes for many years, to your command."

"As for the troops in Datong Town... as you know, the border defense is heavy, and all the passes need to be strictly guarded. We really dare not move them without permission. I hope Governor Ma can understand."

Ma Shilong sighed softly to himself.

Six thousand cavalrymen set out beyond the Great Wall on a distant expedition, heading straight for the enemy's lair. This was the first time since the Wanli era that such an expedition had been launched.

Nobody knows what the outcome will be.

Although he held the imperial pardon, he was, after all, the commander of the visiting army. It was quite difficult to get these two local strongmen to gamble their future and give him their full support.

Very well, six thousand elite cavalry is enough.

He had witnessed the military strength of that Tiger Chieftain in Liaodong before.

They might be able to suppress the Mongol right wing on the Datong side, but ultimately they are no match for his elite cavalry.

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on his face. He bowed deeply to the two men and said a few polite words such as "Thank you for your trouble, sirs" and "If we win this battle, I will not dare to claim all the credit for myself."

After finishing the formalities, the smiles on Zhang Fengyi and Qu Jiazhen's faces became more genuine. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they bowed and took their leave.

Ma Shilong stood there, watching them leave, his smile slowly fading, replaced by a calm demeanor.

He did not mount his horse immediately, but turned around and looked again at the now-silent radio station. Following the direction the radio station pointed, he turned his gaze to the distant east.

The wind was still blowing. The swirling sand stung my face slightly.

His Majesty's purpose in this battle is not simply to achieve a victory.

The delicate balance, the subtleties, the advances and retreats—all of these require careful planning from him, the executor.

Once this telegram is placed on His Majesty's desk, what move will the young emperor make?
Will they choose the safer option, or stick to their original aggressive approach?
The earnest conversation in the Imperial Study before his departure still rings in my ears, but the Emperor's heart is as deep as an abyss; who can truly fathom it?
But will the situation on the grasslands really unfold as he predicted? What if his prediction is wrong?
A long and arduous expedition is not only considered a loss if the army is defeated; it is also a loss if the effort is fruitless!

All his thoughts and anxieties ultimately turned into a heavy pressure weighing on his heart.

Ma Shilong slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and the white mist was instantly blown away by the cold wind.

Regardless of the circumstances, in this first battle of my comeback, I, Ma Shilong, have no choice but to move forward!

(End of this chapter)