Chapter 20 of Part One

  Standing in the spacious military department conference room, I took a look at the entire large-scale map of China and then turned my head to look at several generals who were crawling beside the sandbox: "Come, take a look, the current situation is like this. A few days ago, Hong Chengchou was scolded by Shunzhi and was personally sent out by Shunzhi. He is the Minister of War, and his department has Han Eight Banners and Mongolian Eight Banners, with 180,000 troops in total, equipped with artillery battalions, firearms battalions, cavalry battalions, etc., which can be said to be well-equipped.

  I pointed to the blue arrow and said, "Here they are divided into three routes, each with 60,000 people, heading towards Hubei Huanggang area, Anhui Tongling area, and Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas adjacent to Anhui. As for Mingzhu Department, Longkodo Department, and Ajige Department, I pointed to several other blue markers and said, "These three parts are also heading towards Hubei, Shaanxi, and down to the south. As for Shang Kexi Department, we don't need to worry about it now, as they have already gone to Fujian and are probably fighting with the Fujian forces." I looked at the map and said, "Under the Sixth Division, Li Dingguo Department, I used a yellow marker to indicate that this should be defended by the Sixth Division, and sent a telegram to Yi Tianxing."

  Now let's arrange how to clean up the Qing army inside Jiangxi and wait for the attack from the north. Now, all regimental commanders listen to orders, and the telegraph operator remembers that it is related to the second army and immediately sends the telegram.

  "I looked at the map and said: "The first army, the first division, Li Lei, I order you to lead your troops to depart within three days, and for supply issues, you can directly ask Huang De. You must capture Jiujiang within five days and form a comprehensive encirclement of Nanchang. Pay attention to the defense of the pass, and you must resist the enemy from the north.

  "The second division, Zeng Qing, I order you to lead your troops to depart from Jing'an, suppress Xia Guoxiang in Nanchang, and absolutely cannot let him support Jiujiang. After capturing Nanchang, pay attention to stabilizing the base area and immediately attack westward to take Leping and other places. Do not delay.

  "The third division, Zhang Lian Sheng, I order you to lead your troops to depart from Jing'an within three days, go south to capture Gao'an, and then join forces with Lei Ting's troops to attack Xinyu. After capturing Xinyu, your troops will advance downward and directly occupy the Jinggangshan area, deterring Ganzhou."

  The three of them stood up together and said: "Yes." I gestured for them to sit down and said: "Telegraph operator, send a telegram to Lei Ting's unit. I order the second army's fourth division to cooperate with the third division to capture Xinyu, and after capturing it, they must open up the supply line from Pingxiang to Nanchang and ensure its safety. After that, they can advance eastward but not enter Fujian.

  "The seventh division will advance westward in coordination with the sixth division to occupy the entire territory of Hunan and station itself at the border with Yunnan. Wait for orders. Yi Tian Xing's unit will occupy the entire territory of Hunan after finding an excuse to enter Guizhou, which is occupied by Li Dingguo.

  "That's all." In addition, the artillery units under the army will cooperate with Zeng Qing's unit to capture Nanchang.

  I looked at them and said: "Alright, now you can all go back and prepare."

  After watching them leave, I sat down and muttered to myself: "Will we be able to hold the line?" Zhou Lun smiled and said: "It's not too big, actually this arrangement is still very reasonable. This way, we can occupy all of Jiangxi Province, and when we fight against the Qing army again, there will be no worries within our borders." I nodded in agreement with him, just then, the head of the guard regiment, Tang Kefeng, came in to report: "Chief, there is a middle-aged man outside who insists on seeing you. He doesn't seem like a local from Jing'an, and he has an accent from elsewhere." I was taken aback for a moment before saying: "It's okay, just bring him in anyway. One person can't do anything out of the ordinary."

  A middle-aged scholar was brought in by the guard, and I carefully looked him up and down before saying, "Sir, what brings you to me?" The scholar also looked at me and said, "I have been sent by my father." I was surprised and asked, "Your respected father, who is he?" The scholar looked around awkwardly. I reassured him, "Please be at ease, these people around us are trustworthy. You can speak freely." The scholar still seemed uncertain, but after a moment, said, "My father's name is Changgeng." When I heard the familiar two characters, I asked, "Sir, what is your honorable surname?" The scholar replied, "I am surnamed Song." I suppressed my excitement and asked, "Is your respected father not the author of 'The Exploitation of the Works of Nature', Mr. Changgeng?" The scholar nodded, saying, "That is indeed my father." I was almost ecstatic, thinking to myself that this was the person I had been searching for all along. Song Yingxing, although over 70 years old, still had his works here. I had always wanted to find him after capturing Nanchang, but unexpectedly, he had come to me instead.

  I hastily replied to Song Yingxing's son, "I am honored to meet you, I have long admired your esteemed father's great name. I had always wanted to visit your esteemed father in Nanchang, but as you know, it is still under the occupation of the Qing army, so I couldn't get there." The scholar didn't expect me to be so respectful and humbly said, "General, you are a busy person with many things to attend to, and the overall situation of the Ming dynasty should be prioritized. My father also sees that you have a good way of governing the army and are deeply loved by the people, which is why he is anxious." I said, "Where is your esteemed father now? If not, I will send troops to bring him here." Song Shi-yi said, "My father has already moved with his whole family to Jing'an and is living in a guest house within the city." I hastily called out, "Zhen Sheng brother, you are too careless! What if something happens to your esteemed father? We can't afford to take responsibility for it!" As I spoke, I turned to the guard beside me and said, "Let's go, follow me to personally bring Long Geng Mr. back. Long Geng Mr. is a rare talent that our Ming dynasty needs to restore its prosperity." A group of people arrived at the guest house where Song Shi-yi was staying, and the owner of the guest house, who rarely saw the leader in the city, hastily invited us to sit down. I politely said a few words to the owner, "Don't be polite, just focus on making money and doing good things for the people of Jing'an. As for their rent, I will ask the guard to send it to you later." The owner hastily said no need, no need, and after I placated him with a few words, I followed Song Shi-yi inside. They had rented a courtyard house, and it was inevitable that they would rent a slightly larger one as they brought their family along. Song Shi-yi led the way in front of me, and finally, I saw this Minister of Science and Technology of the Ming dynasty - Song Yingxing.

  At this time, Song Yingxing, who was already in his 70s, looked very spirited and was playing chess with a young man in his 20s. Looking at Song Yingxing's frail body, I didn't wait for Song Shi to introduce me, and I walked up to him and gave him a deep bow, saying: "I've long heard of your great reputation, Mr. Changgeng. It's truly an honor to meet you today." Song Yingxing was completely absorbed in the game and didn't seem to be disturbed by my presence at all. I don't know if it was intentional or not. Song Shi wanted to come forward to tell him, but I stopped him with a glance. I watched them play chess while standing beside them. At this time, Song Yingxing also came back to his senses and asked me: "Who is this?" I smiled and replied: "I am the military commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. I heard that you had come here especially, so I hurried over to welcome you."

  Here is the translation:

  Song Yingxing looked at me and said, "Haha, I really didn't expect that the one who defeated the Qing army would be a young man like you. Alas, it's truly frightening to think about the younger generation." I humbly replied, "Sir, you're overpraising me. I was just lucky, but if I could receive your guidance, it would be like adding wings to a tiger."

  Song Yingxing evaded my words and said, "I see that you've managed things quite well here in Jing'an City, and it's already showing signs of prosperity. I heard about many of your accomplishments on the way here. However, I strongly disagree with your land reform policies. While it's good to strike down those evil landlords, we should still protect the enlightened ones. After all, my Ming dynasty was able to rise to power because of the support of the landlords."

  I smiled and shook my head, looking around at the people nearby, "Mr. Song, this is where you're wrong. As our ancestors said, 'those who gain the hearts of the people will gain the world.' The landlords are only a small part of the people's hearts; the greatest part belongs to the countless ordinary citizens. That's why I'm willing to offend these landlords in order to consider the well-being of the common people, so that everyone can have land and food."

  I continued, "As for the enlightened landlords, they're not giving up their land without compensation. Rather, as a government official, we buy land from them and distribute it to the people, allowing the landlords to invest in other industries." I said, "I often read your writings, sir. As you wrote, 'in extraordinary times, one must use extraordinary measures.'"

  Song Yingxing looked at me with eyes that had already lit up, but as a seasoned official, he remained calm and expressionless, saying, "So, General, your ambition is to drive out the Tartars and reclaim our rivers and mountains?" I smiled and shook my head, "Sir, this is another misconception. Driving out the Tartars is only our first goal. I've also read your 'Tian Gong Kai Wu', which contains vast knowledge. The 'Wan Ren Di' we're using now was manufactured according to your methods, and its power is boundless."

  Looking at his excited eyes, I continued, "Beyond our great Chinese land, there's a vast expanse of territory waiting for us. Our goal is not only to drive out the Tartars but also to expand outward, establishing the most advanced army in the world, making all nations submit and come to pay homage every year." Song Yingxing had already stood up and knelt down before me, saying, "Old Minister Song Yingxing pays his respects to the General. I am willing to dedicate my last efforts to the General's great cause."

  Song Yingxing's family members also followed suit and knelt down. I hastily knelt down as well, saying, "Sir, you're being too polite. My grandfather often told me that if we want to gain the world, we must get your support, sir. There's no need for such formalities; in our army, we only use humble greetings." I helped Song Yingxing up and said, "From now on, sir, there's no need for such politeness; it would be too much for me."

  Song Yingxing laughed and said, "Then I'll follow the General's words." He turned to a young man in his twenties and said, "Mingfeng, you should learn from General Zhu more often." The youth looked at me shyly and said, "I will, General. Please guide me more often in the future." I bowed my head to him and said, "Mingfeng brother, where's the need for such words? In the future, I'll still rely on your guidance."

  Song Yingxing said to me, "Please, General, let's discuss this further inside." I followed Song Yingxing into his temporary study.

  That night, I had a long conversation with Song Yingxing about politics, economy, culture, and military affairs, including the manufacture of weapons and the training of military personnel. In short, we covered all aspects. Song Yingxing kept praising my unique insights. I stood up, pushed open the window, and looked out at the sky that was already turning white. Turning back to face Song Yingxing, who still looked very excited, I said: "Mr. Song, you should rest first. We'll discuss the details of your position tomorrow." Song Yingxing nodded and said: "General, don't be polite. I think Mingfeng can follow you for training. He has learned some martial arts before and can serve as your bodyguard." I nodded and said: "Mr. Song, please rest well. The country still needs your support." Song Yingxing looked very happy and said: "Okay, I won't see you off far then. I'll report to the general tomorrow morning." I nodded and said: "I'll have the guards come pick you up tomorrow." As I walked out of the study, I saw the soldiers outside who were already exhausted and said: "Comrades, you've worked hard. Go wash up and get some rest." At this time, Song Mingfeng had already come out and saluted me, saying: "General Zhu, should I follow you now?" As he spoke, his face turned red for some reason. I didn't pay much attention to him and said: "Let's go. You'll register at the guard camp today, and from now on, you'll be my bodyguard." I added another sentence: "This is your grandfather's intention." Song Mingfeng nodded and said: "Yes, sir." The sun in the afternoon had already turned a bit yellow. At this time, Song Mingfeng came in lightly and called out to me softly: "Sir, it's time to get up. Next week, the political commissar will come to discuss things with you."

  In the military department's conference room, I looked at Zhou Lun and said: "I think Song Yingxing's talent is still affirmable, although he's a bit older. I think it's still possible to let him be the Premier of the Political Council of this base. His two sons are also talented, they're not bad in terms of ability either. It's worth considering letting them take on some responsibilities. Xu Jin can be Song Yingxing's deputy. This way, we can alleviate Song Yingxing's workload. However, with this arrangement, we still need to make the supervisory mechanism more robust. Even if the three members of the Song family are together, I don't think they'll do anything too bad." Zhou Lun nodded and said: "Yes, I think Song Yingxing also wants to contribute to the great Ming dynasty. He used to be a clean official, your worries might be unnecessary." I smiled and said: "I hope it's as you say."