Section Eight

Yang Qilong had fulfilled his promise admirably. During this period, even as peasant uprisings in the north were raging and causing chaos, the Beijing region remained calm. This was no accident; in fact, before the great uprising began, the upper echelons of the Han army were already aware of the impending storm. Lin Feng took numerous preventive measures, both political and military: troops were urgently deployed to control the movement of people, more soldiers were stationed along the borders to fortify defenses, and so forth. Despite these precautions, there were still many vagrants stirring restlessly in several counties within the capital precincts. Naturally, Lin Feng showed no mercy under such circumstances. These plots among the starving populace were swiftly uncovered by Chen Menglei’s intelligence network, and the army promptly moved in to apprehend these dangerous elements in one fell swoop.

Even had some troublemakers arisen, Lin Feng would not have been afraid. The situation in Beijing was markedly different from other provinces. The small Shuntian Prefecture now housed forty thousand well-equipped soldiers, alert and ready. It was unlikely any hero could challenge such strength.

Judging from the information gathered by the intelligence network, Yang Qilong’s uprising appeared to be a disastrous affair. Militarily, it caught the Qing court off guard, but politically, it suffered greatly. Despite raising the banner of “Restoring Ming, opposing Qing,” and publicly declaring himself the “Third Prince Zhu,” his band of insurgents did not behave like a legitimate army of restoration. After their initial successes, they impatiently turned from oppressed to oppressors. In the areas controlled by the insurgents, nearly all landlords, wealthy peasants, and affluent urban merchants were slaughtered. With numbers too large and a severe shortage of military supplies, they adopted a policy of sustaining themselves through warfare—looting and destruction became routine after capturing cities, forcibly conscripting able-bodied men to bolster their ranks. Disorganized and lacking discipline, their actions were exceedingly brutal, committing every crime imaginable—rape, murder, arson, and theft. Those long-oppressed at the bottom of society, once unleashed, exacted terrible revenge and carried out destruction with thoroughness. Like locusts ravaging the land, they left nothing in their wake.

Under such conditions, countless local tyrants and gentry began to flee. Aside from Shandong and Jiangnan, which had not seen peasant uprisings, Beijing under Lin Feng’s control became an ideal refuge. In such a crisis, people cared little about distinctions between rebel and loyalist; entering Beijing meant cutting off their queues, but that was far preferable to having their entire families exterminated by the insurgents.

At Lin Feng’s direction, Li Guangdi’s military government immediately issued a strict order: within Han army-controlled areas, all landlords were required to reduce rents and interest rates. Furthermore, the prominent households had to cooperate with the government to set up shelters, providing basic food for the refugees and starving migrants. Although this policy seriously infringed upon landlords’ interests, under the overarching threat of peasant uprising, no one dared protest. Anyone with a modicum of sense understood the deeper meaning behind these measures: once personal safety was lost, wealth meant nothing.

Upon learning that the great peasant uprising had plunged the Central Plains into turmoil, these officials quickly professed their willingness to unite under the banner of resistance against foreign rule, striving together for the restoration of China.

Lin Feng, naturally, warmly welcomed this sudden burst of national consciousness among the scholars. These people might not be exceptionally talented, but at the very least, they were skilled professionals. Li Guangdi’s military government was under immense pressure at the time, so their arrival to fill positions was timely. Since Li Guangdi and Chen Menglei had served in the central Qing court for years, they were familiar with these officials’ abilities and character, which greatly facilitated the assessment and appointment process. Those originally known for outstanding capability and integrity were selected for important posts within the Han army.

During this period, Lin Feng’s main focus was on this very task. As the leading figure of the Han army, nothing was more critical than recruiting talent and winning hearts. For several days, he ceaselessly received these defecting officials, repeating a certain comforting and cordial interview procedure. He had just seen off a former Ministry of Revenue officer skilled in financial matters when another petition was handed to him. Unable to suppress a groan, Lin Feng closed his eyes in pain. Seeing Lin Feng’s exhausted face, Captain Li Ergou hesitated, holding the petition and standing quietly to the side.

After a brief rest, Lin Feng sighed, opened his eyes, and beckoned helplessly to Li Ergou. “Don’t just stand there—bring in the next one!”

“Dai Zi, a criminal, greets the general!” The young man opposite was frail, his eyes narrowed into slits, seemingly somewhat nearsighted.

Seeing Lin Feng’s courtesy, Dai Zi was flustered and hurriedly rose to return the gesture. “I wouldn’t dare, General, you flatter me!”

“Well… Brother Yunkai, haha…”

Dai Zi quickly stood again and modestly declined, “I wouldn’t dare, what virtue or ability have I to call myself your brother, General?”

“Oh, come now! As the saying goes, within the four seas all men are brothers—why be so distant? To be honest, from the moment I saw you, I felt we’d get along well. I’m determined to make friends with you,” Lin Feng said, thick-skinned and unconcerned. “Brother Yunkai, let’s not be formal. What are your plans now?”

“Sir, I’ve been away from home, serving in the army, for over three years. The day before yesterday, my father wrote to me, and his words were full of longing. So, I boldly beg the general…”

“Oh? You want to return to Yuhang?” Lin Feng was taken aback, disappointment clear on his face.

“Filial piety is the foremost virtue of humanity, please grant me this, General!” Dai Zi carefully watched Lin Feng’s expression, mustering his courage to plead.

“I see…” Lin Feng’s brow furrowed slightly. This fellow was skilled in manufacturing firearms, able to make guns and cast cannons, even inventing new things—a veritable Qian Xuesen. Wherever he went, he was worth two divisions. If he went back to the Qing army, it would truly be troublesome.

Lin Feng looked steadily at Dai Zi, his face sincere. “Which solution do you think is best?”

Tears streamed from Dai Zi’s eyes as he suddenly knelt, choking out, “General… my words were reckless…” He suppressed his excitement, striving to steady his voice. “I am willing to serve the general!”

“Come now, Brother Yunkai, what’s this? Didn’t I just say? Within the four seas all men are brothers, this is a small matter! Lin Feng hurried forward to help him up, smiling. “That’s settled then. I’ll have Chen Menglei personally oversee this—he’ll send capable men by sea to bring your family over!”

Dai Zi wiped the sweat from his brow, allowing Lin Feng to press him back into his seat, grateful. “Thank you, sir!”

“Ha ha, where were we? Oh, Brother Yunkai, what are your plans now?”

Dai Zi habitually stood to respond, “Sir, from childhood I’ve been interested in mechanical and firearms studies, and believe I can be of some use. Thus, I wish to supervise military ordnance for the general!”

That was the answer Lin Feng was waiting for. He laughed heartily and waved his hand. “Sit, sit, don’t be so formal. I dislike rigid rules, let’s just talk freely.” Once Dai Zi was seated, Lin Feng suddenly sighed. “Little Dai, you don’t know—I’ve been troubled about firearms, you must give me some advice!”

“Firearms? Does the general also find our current guns lacking?” At the mention of firearms, Dai Zi perked up and asked eagerly.

“Exactly! Frankly, I think our current guns are terrible—the range is short, accuracy low, and the firing speed is slow. To shoot, you have to stuff powder and pull a fuse—it’s cumbersome and troublesome! I hear Westerners all use flintlock guns, with greater range and faster firing. Their weapons are much sharper than ours!” Lin Feng complained.

Dai Zi was delighted, blurting out, “So the general is an expert? Are you interested in firearms as well?”

“You’ll see in time—I’m not just interested in firearms. To be honest, I’ve organized over ten thousand firearm troops in the Han army, intending to make them the main force!”

“A wise decision, sir!” Dai Zi sincerely praised. “I never expected to find a kindred spirit here. You wouldn’t know, sir—in the past, when I served under Prince Kang, the officers all believed in longbows and crossbows, dismissing firearms as trivial—truly frogs at the bottom of a well!”

“No, no,” Lin Feng waved his hand embarrassedly. “Yunkai, have you seen Western firearms?”

“I have. In Yuhang, Dutch ships used to trade at the port—I bought a gun from a foreigner and even disassembled it!”

“Oh?” Lin Feng rubbed his hands, asking excitedly, “Can you replicate it now?”

“Well…” Dai Zi looked embarrassed, rising to apologize. “To be clear, sir, firearms seem simple but are actually complex. I’ve studied them deeply and found that making guns as sharp as the foreigners’ is not easy, nor can it be accomplished by one person alone.” Dai Zi frowned. “Such fine guns require refined steel, knowledge of arithmetic, mastery of mechanics and physics, as well as expertise in gunpowder chemistry. Even with these people, repeated testing is needed. In short, it’s not easy, sir—don’t expect quick success.”

Lin Feng knew already this was not simple. He patiently asked, “Yunkai, do you understand all these disciplines?”

“Honestly, I have some grasp of arithmetic and mechanics, but I’m rather unfamiliar with steel refining and chemistry,” Dai Zi admitted.

Hearing Lin Feng’s request, Dai Zi’s expression suddenly turned odd, as if surprised and astonished. Lin Feng, noticing, quickly said, “It’s fine if you can’t make it yet. We’ll take it step by step, no need to rush.”

Dai Zi cupped his hands and forced a smile. “There’s something the general may not know—the flintlock mechanism itself is not… not especially difficult.” He looked a little embarrassed, explaining, “If we only speak of the flintlock spring, it was invented long ago. In the eighth year of Chongzhen, Mr. Mao Kang, Assistant Minister of the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue, wrote the ‘Treatise on Military Equipment,’ which describes the ‘self-igniting gun’—that is, a flintlock.”

Lin Feng was astonished, his face flushed. He immediately stood and bowed to Dai Zi, earnestly seeking advice, “Sir, what do you think we should do to improve our firearms?”

“You flatter me!” Dai Zi hurriedly returned the gesture and replied earnestly, “Actually, our current firearms aren’t too bad—they were originally meant for the Emperor’s imperial guards. The barrels have straight rifling and a range of up to 250 paces. I believe a gun’s advantage lies in range and accuracy. I was planning to work on that, but it seems the general wants faster firing. In that case, let’s first improve the firing mechanism!”

“No rush, no rush!” Lin Feng waved his hand. This time, he was self-aware. Although from the twenty-first century, compared to Dai Zi the expert, he was no match, and dared not boast as before. He spoke in a consultative tone, “Brother Yunkai, to be frank, I only have a superficial understanding of firearms, so you take the lead. Do as you see fit, don’t mind me!”

“You’re too modest, sir!” Dai Zi smiled. “My views are just theoretical and may not hold up in battle. Flintlock guns are indeed superior—lighter and more agile than matchlocks. Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I was planning improvements. Given our Han army’s current equipment, it’s an urgent priority. Rest assured, sir, I’ve gained much experience over the years. Once appointed, I will accelerate progress. Within a month, besides converting to flintlocks, I can increase the range to 300 paces!”

Lin Feng clapped his hands. “Excellent! I’ll allocate another one million taels of silver. Once you take office, you may recruit talent, hire workers from among the refugees, expand the workshops, and strive to equip the Han army’s firearm battalions with new flintlocks within three months!”