Chief Armaments Master of the Ming Dynasty

April 11th, dusk.

The central command tent on Pi Island.

Chen Jisheng sat behind his desk, a pile of documents spread out in front of him.

There were grain urging letters from Dengzhou and Laizhou, negotiation letters from Korea, lists of vacancies from various battalions, and a gazette from Beijing—brightly reporting the latest developments in the Yuan Chonghuan case:

The joint trial by the three judicial departments has concluded, and the proposed charges are "plotting to embezzle funds, beheading the commander, and allowing the enemy to advance unchecked," which, according to the law, warrants execution.

Chen Jisheng looked at the official gazette, feeling a mix of emotions.

Mao Zedong was killed by Yuan Chonghuan, but Yuan Chonghuan also met the same fate.

Now that the man who killed Mao is dead, can Mao rest in peace?

He didn't know. All he knew was that since Marshal Mao's death, he had been a pathetic and incompetent acting commander-in-chief, looked down on by everyone, and thought he was easy to bully.

"General, Lieutenant General Liu is outside requesting an audience," a guard reported as he entered.

Chen Jisheng looked up and rubbed his sore eyes. "Let him in."

Liu Xingzhi strode into the tent, his face grim. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, offering no further pleasantries.

"General, I want to ask you something."

Chen Jisheng's heart skipped a beat. He had known Liu Xingzhi for many years and knew the man's temper—when he spoke in this tone, he must be suppressing some kind of anger.

"you say."

"What do you plan to do about my brother's matter?"

Chen Jisheng remained silent for a moment. "Xingzhi, I am also deeply saddened by Vice General Liu's situation. He was a hero of our Dongjiang Town, a martyr who fought bravely and died for his country. I have already submitted a memorial to the court requesting posthumous honors, but..."

"Just what?" Liu Xingzhi interrupted him, raising his voice slightly. "Just that the memorials were submitted and then disappeared without a trace, right? Just like the memorials about the lack of food and pay on this island, submitted one after another, and then sunk without a trace? Commander Chen, I'm asking you, have you heard those rumors on the island?"

Chen Jisheng certainly heard it.

The rumors had been circulating on the island for some time—that Liu Xingzuo had a secret agreement with the Later Jin and was silenced because he leaked the secret; and that Liu Xingzhi was in cahoots with his brother and would betray them sooner or later.

He had heard these words from different people. But he didn't care. Not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't dare to.

Was someone behind the rumors? He didn't know. But he knew that anyone who could spread rumors on this island must have powerful backers.

"In Xingzhi, rumors stop with the wise." Chen Jisheng carefully chose his words. "I have already ordered all battalions to prohibit the spread of rumors. Those who disobey will be dealt with according to military law."

"Law-abiding by military law?" Liu Xingzhi suddenly laughed, a cold laugh. "General Chen, you might say that to others, but do you think I'd believe you? These rumors have been circulating for days. Who's spreading them? Have you investigated? Have you arrested anyone?"

Chen Jisheng remained silent.

Liu Xingzhi took a step closer, lowering his voice even further:

"General Chen, my brother died in battle. When he died, he was still holding a knife in his hand, the blade still stained with the blood of the Tartars. He only went out to fight because of your orders, and he died while fighting the Tartars to the death! It's one thing that the court won't give him any compensation, but rumors are spreading that he feigned surrender and was a Tartar spy. As the acting general, what have you done?"

Chen Jisheng's Adam's apple bobbed. Then he said something that chilled Liu Xingzhi to the bone: "Xingzhi, this matter... cannot be rushed. The court will make its own judgment. There are some things that I, the commander-in-chief, cannot inquire about further."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xingzhi's expression changed.

It was a transformation from anger to coldness, like red-hot iron being quenched in cold water; with a hiss, all the heat instantly solidified, leaving only hardness and chill.

"Okay." He nodded, took a step back, and said, "General Chen is right, this matter cannot be rushed."

He turned and strode out. The curtains fell behind him, blocking out the dim light of the day.

Chen Jisheng sat alone behind his desk, watching the swaying curtains, a vague unease creeping into his heart. He felt that Liu Xingzhi's last words were not a concession, but rather a kind of judgment.

But he didn't think much of it. He was too tired. He just wanted to keep this mess going until the court sent a new general to relieve him of this burden.

As for the anger in Liu Xingzhi's heart, he thought he would deal with it in a few days.

That same night, at Liu Xingzhi's private residence in the southwest corner of Pi Island.

These are several low stone houses surrounding a courtyard.

Several guards with swords at their waists stood in the courtyard, their eyes alert, not allowing anyone to approach.

An oil lamp was lit in the room, its dim light illuminating the faces of several people.

Liu Xingzhi sat in the main seat, flanked by his confidants—his younger brother Liu Xingxian, and his subordinates Li Dengke and Cui Yaozu.

They were all Han Chinese from Liaodong who had followed the Liu brothers for many years, loyal and fearless in battle.

"Big brother, did you go see Chen Jisheng today?" Liu Xingxian spoke first. He was a few years younger than Liu Xingzhi and looked like his older brother, with a square face and a wide mouth, but his eyes were sharper, like a knife ready to be drawn at any moment.

"I'm going." Liu Xingzhi's voice was very calm, so calm that it didn't seem like him.

"What did Chen Jisheng say?"

He said, "There's no need to rush."

Liu Xingxian sneered, "Can't rush it? Bah! Our elder brother died on the battlefield for the court, and we're here waiting for the court's judgment? By the time their judgment comes down, our brothers' bones will have been devoured!"

Li Dengke was a burly man in his early forties with an honest face, but the knife scars on his hands and the shocking old wound on his neck proved that he was a veteran who had crawled out of piles of dead bodies.

He had been silent until now, but when he spoke, his voice was hoarse yet steady.

"Second Master, you make the decision."

Liu Xingzhi did not answer immediately. He looked down at his hands, hands that had held knives, killed people, and written lists of the dead.

He personally engraved the names on each list before handing them to messengers who would then deliver them to Dengzhou and Laizhou, and finally to Beijing. But did the imperial court even glance at those names? Did they care?

He looked up at the people in the room. These men had followed him and his brothers through thick and thin, fighting their way from Liaodong to Pi Island, carving a path to survival from the Jurchen invaders. But how had the Ming Dynasty treated them?

"Isn't Chen Jisheng trying to drag this out?" Liu Xingzhi's voice wasn't loud, but every word was icy. "Then we'll help him settle things once and for all."

Everyone's spirits lifted.

"Big brother, tell me, how do we do it?" Liu Xingxian's eyes were full of fighting spirit.

"Tomorrow is April 12th, the '37' anniversary of my elder brother's passing," Liu Xingzhi said. "According to custom, everyone in the camp should come to pay their respects. I'm hosting a banquet in the main tent, inviting Chen Jisheng and all the officials, big and small, on the island."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"The banquet was fine. The wine was good. I invited them out of courtesy. But once they're here, they won't be leaving alive."

A moment of silence fell over the room. Then, Li Dengke was the first to stand up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "I am willing to follow you through fire and water, Second Master!"

Cui Yaozu followed closely behind: "I am willing to follow Second Master!"

Liu Xingxian didn't say anything, but simply squeezed his brother's shoulder tightly.

Liu Xingzhi nodded, then stood up and walked to the portrait of Mao Wenlong hanging on the wall.

It was a crude portrait; the paper had yellowed, but the eyes of the person in the painting were still as sharp as an eagle's.

Marshal Mao cannot have died in vain. My elder brother cannot have died in vain. We cannot swallow the humiliation we suffered on Pi Island all these years.

He turned around, faced the crowd, and whispered a sentence.

"After tomorrow, Pi Island will be surnamed Liu."