Chapter Six

Snow fell in fine, dense beads throughout the night, and with the sudden drop in temperature, by dawn the land around the capital was coated in a layer of white. When the sun rose, the crows above Beijing clamored for two hours, and only when smoke from cooking fires began to curl upwards did they reluctantly settle upon the wild burial grounds beyond the city.

Lin Feng managed a few hours of uneasy sleep, rising hurriedly at first light to order his guard battalion to assemble and personally inspect the work of the laborers outside the city.

The previous night’s work had not ceased. When Lin Feng arrived, many of the torches lining the road still flickered, emitting thin wisps of smoke, as hundreds of soldiers clustered around their commander, inspecting the various stages of transportation.

Barely a few miles along, Tang Bin, having received word, hurried to catch up. Due to Lin Feng’s personal promotion and trust, Tang Bin had been especially diligent these days. Since the commencement of construction at the Forbidden City, he had moved his bedding out, operating from a temple outside the city with a handful of old servants, supervising day and night, forbidding his subordinates any slackening. For this reason, the petty officials within the Han Army government held a deep grudge against him; in this bitter cold, they too were forced to endure the outdoors, and many of the frail and elderly officials fell ill in droves.

“This matter was handled directly by Ze Zhen,” Lin Feng shook his head and smiled wryly. “You know Ze Zhen—upright and loyal, a stubborn scholar—he even tallied up all the seized silks, jade, antique paintings, cloisonné, Western clocks, Xuande incense burners, precious screens, and all sorts of miscellany into the accounts. How could the total not be inflated?”

Tang Bin could only smile bitterly. In peaceful times, such items could indeed be counted as valuables for conversion into cash, but in the chaos of war, it was entirely different. Not only were they hard to sell, but few merchants would dare take them. If one counted carefully, these were but fictional or wasted accounts. He glanced at Lin Feng; in truth, he had heard rumors of such matters, but since the Han Army had never straightened out these affairs, he had assumed the commander was simply too busy with military concerns. It now seemed that his lord’s mind was clear and keen.

“See?” Lin Feng pinched his nose, spreading his fingers to count, “I’ll skip the small accounts and note only the big ones. First, rewards for the soldiers: we’ve fought two major battles, and this expense alone cost over four million taels of silver. Second, recruiting the army and supporting military families, plus wages, uniforms, camp relocation costs—another five million. Third, we carry heavy burdens: the tens of thousands of Eight Banner women and children left by the former Qing court, captured officials, and our own tens of thousands of dependents, not to mention Jin Qing’s little Han Army government…”

“This…” Tang Bin sighed deeply, speaking from the heart, “No wonder the commander is so troubled day and night!”

“Yes, honestly these damned affairs are enough to drive one mad. Never in my life did I imagine I’d fear for the food and clothing of so many. Being the head of the household is truly hard!” Lin Feng laughed bitterly. “Besides, there’s a bottomless pit that eats silver—tsk tsk, look at Director Dai Zi. He’s talented, but also reckless, always coming to me for funds. Think about it: where in the capital or its surrounds is there iron or copper ore?—None at all! We have to buy them at high prices from other provinces, then smuggle them in, not to mention saltpeter, refined coal, graphite—where am I supposed to find these?”

“The matter of military equipment…is indeed a vast expense…”

“I threw two million taels of silver at him in one go…” Lin Feng’s face twisted in pain, his fingers trembling, “Two million taels! And once it’s spent, it vanishes without a trace—have you seen our Han Army’s firepower?—It’s all built atop piles of silver. Think about it, the refined iron left by Kangxi would last only days. Just smuggling and transporting pig iron and copper from other provinces cost countless silver. Sometimes, the thought keeps me awake at night…”

Tang Bin, hearing these secrets for the first time, blanched in shock.

“Frightened now?—And there’s more.” Lin Feng, back to his usual self, spread a map and pointed, “You’re not a military man, so I’ll speak plainly. Look—right now we’re surrounded on all sides: Shandong borders the Qing’s pseudo-Prince Jian army; who knows when they might throw off Wu Sangui’s command and march north. Then Datong and Xuanhua border the Mongol Tushiyetu, Chahar, Khalkha, and Dzungar tribes, while Zhao Liangdong’s force at Datong numbers only six thousand infantry, and Xuanhua’s Zhao Guangyuan has merely seven thousand cavalry—could you sleep soundly? Lin Feng scratched his head in anguish, circling Liaodong on the map, “Furthermore, the remnants of the Manchus in Liaodong are regrouping. Can we stand by and let them rise again like Nurhaci? If we don’t crush them while they’re weak, how could we ever eat in peace?! Do you know how many troops we have now?—Just over fifty thousand, and ten thousand of those are newly recruited…”

Tang Bin’s forehead was drenched in sweat. He poked at the charcoal fire, furtively wiping his brow. He had long dwelled in officialdom, accustomed to seeing people pursue private gain in the name of public interest, but never had he met someone so brazen as this, one who, under the banner of saving the world, sought profit on such a scale. Such reckless madness was rare even in the vast annals of China’s history.

“National treasures of China, destroyed in an instant—how could my heart not break? Centuries of accumulation, gone in one night—how could I not lament?! But do you understand—without an army, what are we? If the army has no weapons, what is the army? Can antique paintings or ornate halls preserve our lives and the Han Empire? What right have we to indulge in elegance, to mourn ruins and sing to the setting sun?—We need cannons, muskets, bayonets, and troops—do you understand?!”

Suddenly Lin Feng stood and strode from the tent, pointing to the river where logs floated downstream, shouting, “Do you know why I ordered the finest, strongest timber shipped to Tianjin?”

“Commander, your wisdom is unmatched; I dare not presume…” Tang Bin stood behind Lin Feng, hands clasped in respect.

“Because I intend to build sea vessels with them—look at the capital and its surrounds, is there any forest left fit for shipbuilding?—Timber suitable for ships is rarer than three-legged toads. If I don’t dismantle the Forbidden City’s palace halls, where else can I find it in time?” Lin Feng said grimly. “Those resources lie deep in the mountains, and I lack the energy or capital to log and build ships now.”

Tang Bin was stunned, barely registering the latter words, and finally asked, “Commander…why are we building ships?”

“You are my trusted minister, so I’ll speak plainly!” Lin Feng returned to the tent, sitting boldly by the fire. “First for raiding, second for trade—You don’t grasp the global situation, but naval power will soon be vital for the nation, and establishing it is imperative. My urgency is driven by necessity!” Lin Feng pointed again at the map, “Our army faces enemies everywhere in the heartland; trade is essentially cut off. If I do nothing, the capital and its surrounds will become a dead zone. So I must find another path—open Tianjin, build a port, establish a navy!”

“My lord…commander…” Tang Bin was shocked, his face ashen, knees buckling as he knelt, pleading, “Naval forces require vast sums and cannot be built overnight. Our military funds are depleted, everything lies in ruin…”

“No need for this, I have only plans!” Lin Feng quickly helped Tang Bin up, speaking gently. “I don’t intend to build large warships now, just some smaller vessels capable of fighting and transporting. Seeing Tang Bin still troubled, he explained, “After destroying the Eight Banner nobles and dismantling the Forbidden City, we’ve stockpiled many rare luxury goods—these can hardly be sold in the north, so we must transport them south to convert to silver for the army. Southern grain, cloth, porcelain, tea, silk are also in high demand in the north. Currently, sea transport is nearly nonexistent; if our army opens it first, we will reap huge profits!—I will coordinate closely with merchants, Yang Haisheng and Admiral Shi Lang. Merchants seek profit and have long awaited this; rest assured, our Han Army will not suffer losses!”

“So…so my lord had this plan all along…no wonder you summoned General Yang recently…” Tang Bin’s admiration grew. At the Dezhou front, the two armies were locked in a standoff, with Liu Lao Si and Yang Haisheng guarding the capital and the canal, tension at its peak. When Lin Feng suddenly ordered the recall of a front-line general, his ministers had been anxious and puzzled, never imagining it was for this purpose.

“Do you see now?—Dismantling the Forbidden City is not just to house refugees and provide warmth, but serves many purposes. I braved universal condemnation for one reason—‘where profit lies, one may face death!’…”

Before he finished, Li Ergou gently knocked on the tent frame outside, respectfully reporting, “Commander, Admiral Shi Lang and General Yang Haisheng of the artillery corps request to see you!”