Chief Armaments Master of the Ming Dynasty

Tongzhou.

This important town in eastern Beijing was the terminus of the Grand Canal, where grain from the south was continuously transported to the city before being transferred to the capital.

Last year, when Huang Taiji's army approached Beijing, most of the granaries in Tongzhou were burned down.

After Huang Taiji withdrew his troops, this place became the frontline command post for the Ming army to recapture the four cities east of Beijing.

Sun Chengzong sat in the office of the prefect of Tongzhou, with a map spread out in front of him.

He is 67 years old this year, with white hair and beard, and a thin face, but his back is straight and his eyes are still as sharp as an eagle's.

He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 32nd year of the Wanli reign, and served as the imperial tutor during the Tianqi reign. He commanded troops in Liaodong for four years, building cities and training soldiers, and recovering hundreds of miles of lost territory. He was one of the few civil officials in the late Ming Dynasty who truly understood military affairs.

He was later impeached by the eunuch faction and dismissed from office, returning to his hometown.

After Chongzhen ascended the throne, the eunuch faction was destroyed, and he was reinstated.

But before he could make a name for himself, he was implicated in the "negligence of defense in Jizhou" and dismissed from office again.

It wasn't until the Jurchens breached the pass and Yuan Chonghuan was imprisoned that Emperor Chongzhen remembered this old minister again, reinstating him to his original position as Minister of War and Grand Secretary of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, to oversee military affairs, command all the troops sent to defend the emperor, and take charge of recovering the four cities east of the capital.

"General, urgent reports from Yutian, Sanhe, and Xianghe." A staff officer hurried in, carrying several military reports with feathers stuck in them.

Sun Chengzong took the envelopes, opened them one by one, and read them carefully, word by word.

His expression grew increasingly grim, but he remained silent.

After reading the last letter, he placed the military report on the table, closed his eyes, and remained silent for a long time.

The staff held their breath, afraid to utter a sound.

They had followed Sun Chengzong for many years and knew the old governor's habit—the angrier he was, the more silent he became.

After a long while, Sun Chengzong opened his eyes.

"Zhang Wenda, the magistrate of Yutian, surrendered the city to the Jurchens." His voice was not loud, but every word was as cold as ice. "Wang Maoxue, the magistrate of Sanhe, died for his country when the city fell. Xianghe was without a city, and 30,000 shi of grain were all burned to the ground. Within three days, the Jurchens had swept through 600 li of the capital region."

He paused.

"Last year, the Jurchen invaded and plundered the capital region. This year, the Jurchens have harassed us again, and the area around the capital has been ravaged once more. The court maintains an army of a million, yet it cannot even protect its own capital region. How can we, as subjects, face His Majesty? How can we face the elders of the capital region?"

The staff members lowered their heads, none daring to respond.

Sun Chengzong stood up and walked to the map.

His gaze moved back and forth between the four cities of Yongping, Qian'an, Luanzhou, and Zunhua.

These four cities were left behind by Huang Taiji during his retreat last year, and were garrisoned by Amin and Jirgalang with more than 10,000 troops. The four cities formed a strategic defensive position, allowing for both offense and defense, and were like a dagger stuck in the heart of the Ming Dynasty by the Later Jin.

"Amin's division of his forces to raid four cities may seem arrogant, but it's actually a death wish," Sun Chengzong said slowly. "His forces were only a little over ten thousand to begin with. After the division, the defenses of the four cities will inevitably be weak. This is our opportunity."

He pointed to Luanzhou on the map with his finger.

"Luanzhou is the southernmost of the four cities, and also the most isolated. Taking Luanzhou will break the strategic alliance of the four cities. If Amin rescues Luanzhou, Yongping will be vulnerable; if he doesn't, Luanzhou will surely fall. No matter what he chooses, the initiative is in my hands."

The staff members perked up. Having followed Sun Chengzong for many years, they knew that the old commander-in-chief never fought a battle he wasn't confident of winning. Since he said that, he must already have a complete plan in mind.

"Pass on the order." Sun Chengzong's voice was old but powerful.

"Order Zu Dashou to lead the main force of the Guan Ning Army to garrison Funing and threaten the eastern flank of Yongping. Remember, it is a threat, not a full-scale attack. If Amin does not move, Zu Dashou will not move either. If Amin moves, Zu Dashou will immediately attack Yongping."

"yes!"

"Order General Ma Shilong of Shanxi and General You Shilu of Ningxia to each lead their troops in a feigned movement toward Jizhou to distract the Jurchen cavalry and cover the main force's assembly."

"yes!"

"Order all troops in the Zunhua direction to raise more flags and make a show of force, so that Amin will think that my main attack direction is Zunhua."

"yes!"

The advisors accepted the orders one by one, but one hesitated and asked, "General, which of the various armies should be the main force attacking Luanzhou?"

Sun Chengzong turned around and looked at the advisor.

"I've already chosen the person to lead the attack on Luanzhou."

"Who?"

"Xie Shangzheng."

The staff members looked at each other in bewilderment.

Xie Shangzheng, deputy general of Zunhua, led his remaining troops to break out when the Jurchens captured Zunhua last year, and performed well in the Battle of Guangqumen.

But this person has a flaw—he's arrogant.

Relying on his past military achievements, he disregarded his superiors.

Can he be the main attacker?

Sun Chengzong noticed the doubts of his advisors.

"Xie Shangzheng is an unruly man, but he's a formidable fighter. Luanzhou is a small city with few defenders, so his arrogance is perfect for him." He paused, then added, "But we can't let him go alone. Order Xie Shangzheng to lead the main attack on Luanzhou and make sure it's captured in one battle. Also, order Deputy General Wang Chengyin to lead his troops to provide support. If Xie Shangzheng fails to capture the city, he should immediately take over."

"The commander-in-chief has considered everything thoroughly." The staff members were completely convinced.

Sun Chengzong did not respond.

He stared at the map, his brow still furrowed. Deployment is deployment, and the battlefield is the battlefield.

Theoretical discussions are often eloquent, but real combat is ever-changing.

Amin was no mediocre talent, and Jirgalang was an even more renowned general of the Later Jin dynasty.

This battle will not be easy.

He suddenly remembered someone—Yuan Chonghuan.

At this time last year, Yuan Chonghuan was the military governor of Jiliao, commanding a large army and full of vigor.

Now, Yuan Chonghuan is in prison, while he is outside.

What Yuan Chonghuan could not do, he had to do.

"Element," Sun Chengzong murmured to himself, calling Yuan Chonghuan by his courtesy name, "You can wait patiently in prison. Once I have recovered the four cities, I will go before the Emperor to plead your case."

Outside the window, the north wind howled, whipping up a flurry of snowflakes.

The flames of war still burn over the land of eastern Beijing.

---

Thousands of miles away, in Yan'an Prefecture, Shaanxi Province.

In February, northern Shaanxi was still freezing cold.

The loess plateau is covered with patches of snow, and the wind blows from the north, carrying sand and dust that sting your face.

Within Bao'an County, there is a small village called Liushujian.

The village is small, with only a few dozen households, living in cave dwellings dug against a loess cliff.

Last year's severe drought resulted in a complete crop failure.

The disaster relief grain from the imperial court was subject to multiple cuts, and by the time it reached the disaster victims, only stale grain mixed with sand remained.

More than a dozen people starved to death in the village, and most of the survivors fled to other places.

Today, only elderly people who can no longer walk and a few families who are reluctant to leave their homeland remain in the village.

But today, the village suddenly became lively.

A man wearing a tattered cotton armor and riding a skinny horse led about a hundred men into Willow Tree Ravine.

The man was in his early thirties, with dark skin and a burly build. A scar running diagonally from his cheekbone to his jawline on his left cheek made him look fierce and capable.

His name was Shen Yikui. He was originally a border soldier in Yansui Town. He guarded the area outside Yulin City for more than ten years, fighting against the Mongols and the Jurchens. He accumulated merits and rose to the rank of captain.

Last year, in order to save expenses, the imperial court reduced redundant troops, and the entire battalion where Shen Yikui was stationed was dismissed.

The higher-ups promised to give each person two taels of silver as severance pay, but in the end, they only received three qian.

Shen Yikui stood outside Yulin City with the three taels of silver in his hand, gazing at the swirling sandstorm, wondering where he could go.

He was a military household member; his ancestors had all served in the military.

He can't do anything except kill people with a knife.

The few acres of meager land belonging to my family were seized by the military garrison commander in the early years.

His parents are dead, and his wife remarried, taking the children with her. He has nothing.

There were over a thousand border soldiers in Yansui Town who were dismissed like him.

These people are all professional soldiers who have fought in wars and seen blood; they know nothing but killing.

The imperial court dismissed them but gave them no way to make a living.

If you can't survive, then rebel.

Shen Yikui was not the first to rebel.

At the end of last year, among the border soldiers dismissed from Yansui Town, there was one named Zhang Mengjin who took the lead in raising a gang and gathering about a hundred people to rob the rich and help the poor in the Jiazhou area.

The government sent troops to suppress him, and Zhang Mengjin won several small victories, making him famous.

More and more demobilized border troops, famine refugees, and bankrupt artisans flocked to his cause.

Shen Yikui also went.

He worked under Zhang Mengjin for two months and found that the man was ambitious but incompetent, only knowing how to plunder and having no long-term plans.

He advised Zhang Mengjin to find a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and to settle down instead of always wandering around.

Zhang Mengjin wouldn't listen; instead, he complained that he was being nosy.

Shen Yikui, along with several dozen trusted brothers, broke away from Zhang Mengjin and headed north alone, intending to carve out a territory in the Bao'an and Ansai areas.

Willow Stream was the place he chose to settle down.

"Brother, this dilapidated village doesn't even have a decent wall. Can we defend it?" A brother named Liu Guoneng looked around, his brows furrowed. He was an old subordinate of Shen Yikui, they had been in the same squad in the border army, skilled in swordsmanship and utterly loyal.

"We can't hold out," Shen Yikui said. "But we're not here to hold out. We're here to take root."

"Settle down?"

Shen Yikui dismounted and pointed to the barren hillside surrounding the village: "Look, although this place is poor, it has water and land. Last year there was a severe drought, but this spring, as long as it rains, these lands can be cultivated. We, several hundred brothers, can't just rely on robbing. We have to grow our own food, raise chickens and pigs, and live like normal people."

Liu Guoneng was stunned.

He joined Shen Yikui in rebellion, thinking only of killing officials to avenge himself and living a life of luxury; he never considered farming.

"Brother, we're rebels, what are we farming for? When the government troops come, they'll just burn it all down."

"When the government troops come, we'll go up the mountain," Shen Yikui said. "When they leave, we'll come down again. This is our territory; we're not going anywhere else."

He squatted down, grabbed a handful of yellow soil, and squeezed it tightly.

The soil was very dry; it crumbled easily when squeezed and fell through the fingers.

"I served in the border army for over a decade, fighting against the Mongols and the Jurchens. How many brothers died? In the end, the court dismissed us with a single word. Two taels of silver in severance pay, and I only received three coins." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried suppressed anger. "Guoneng, tell me, are our lives really that worthless?"

Liu Guoneng remained silent.

"I refuse to accept this." Shen Yikui stood up, dusting off his hands. "I don't want to serve the imperial court anymore. I want to live for myself. To live for the brothers who follow me. This place is poor, but it's ours. We decide for ourselves."

Looking at Shen Yikui, the elder brother who had followed him for more than ten years, Liu Guoneng suddenly felt that his elder brother had changed.

My former elder brother was the most capable captain in the border army, a ruthless killer.

The current eldest brother is like an old wolf driven out of its territory, searching for a new den.

"Big brother, just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

Shen Yikui patted him on the shoulder.

In the days that followed, Shen Yikui and his brothers settled down in Willow Tree Ravine.

They repaired abandoned cave dwellings, cleared barren fields, dug irrigation ditches, and brought in mountain springs from afar.

Shen Yikui also sent people to nearby villages and towns, not to rob, but to "trade"—using the small amount of silver and cloth he had received from Zhang Mengjin to buy seeds, farming tools and livestock from the people.

The people were initially afraid, and when they saw that these "bandits" were actually giving them money, they were skeptical.

But after making a few deals, people gradually became willing to do business with them.

Shen Yikui's reputation began to spread among the poor people in the surrounding area—"Shen Yikui of Willow Tree Stream does not harm the people, and even gives them money to buy things."

More and more people came to seek refuge with him.

There were border soldiers who had been laid off, starving people who couldn't make a living, bankrupt artisans, and even small landlords who couldn't bear the exploitation of the government.

By the end of February, Shen Yikui had four or five hundred men under his command.

But with more people, problems also arise.

Willow Tree Ravine is too small to support so many people.

His gaze turned to Anse County in the south.

Anse was an important town in the northwest of Yan'an Prefecture. The town had granaries, armories, and a garrison of about 300 men.

If we can capture Anse, we can not only solve the food supply problem, but also seize weapons and strengthen our forces.

But Anse has city walls, and his four or five hundred men have no siege equipment; a direct assault would be suicide.

We must outsmart them.