The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

For the first time, Chen Wang felt so bewildered.

Although he had memories of his mother from the past, she was actually quite unfamiliar to Chen Wang.

But what's meant to happen will happen eventually; there's no escaping it.

After taking a deep breath, Chen Wang straightened his python robe, then stepped forward, passed through the group of maids, and walked towards the main room in the back hall.

The maid standing at the entrance of the main room saw Chen Wang's figure.

Although none of them had ever seen what Chen Wang looked like.

However, upon seeing Chen Wang's bright red python robe, which only the highest-ranking nobles could wear, along with the gilded jade belt around his waist and the soldiers following behind him, and noting the striking resemblance between his features and those of the matriarch who had always lived in the mansion, they immediately understood Chen Wang's identity.

The maids dared not stop him, bowing their heads and kneeling, holding their breath as Chen Wang strode in.

At the third quarter of Chen hour, the morning light shone through the fine bamboo blinds, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick floor.

Chen Wang stepped over the threshold and entered the main room. A warm atmosphere, a mixture of delicate floral and medicinal fragrances, wafted towards him, a stark contrast to the chilly atmosphere outside.

The interior was fully visible.

The main room was decorated elegantly and solemnly. His mother, Hu Mingjin, was sitting upright in a rosewood chair to the left of the main seat, her back straight as a pine tree.

She wore a sandalwood-colored jacket with gold trim, and a dark green horse-face skirt that hung neatly at her feet. In her hands, she held a celadon teacup, her knuckles slightly white from the effort she was putting into it.

To the right of the head of the table, his wife, Ma Yuying, was sitting with her head bowed.

Her nine-month pregnancy made it quite difficult for her to move around, and her high, protruding belly was particularly noticeable under her long coat.

Upon seeing Chen Wang enter, Ma Yuying instinctively protected her abdomen and reached out to have the maid beside her help her up to greet him, but was stopped by a single look from Madam Hu.

"What a fine Duke of Yan!"

Hu Mingjin's cold voice rang out amidst the fragrant tea, her deliberately suppressed calm masking underlying anger.

"That's really impressive."

Chen Wang was initially a little uneasy.

However, the moment he saw his mother, Hu Mingjin, a deep longing and profound guilt suddenly welled up in his heart.

In just a moment, Chen Wang's eyes reddened, and a light mist obscured his vision.

"Auntie..."

Chen Wang's voice was hoarse, and even a little choked up.

All of the original owner's past memories surfaced in Chen Wang's mind.

After Guangning fell, thousands of miles of land were reduced to red earth.

On the dilapidated official road, refugees thronged, their cries and wails echoing endlessly.

Only a few scattered cavalrymen were heading northeast towards the battlefield, moving in the opposite direction from the fleeing crowd.

These cavalrymen received their orders and went to resist the southward advance of the Jurchens and protect the people as they fled south.

But the army had already been defeated, and there was not much they could do.

His mother, Hu Mingjin, along with him and his younger brother, fled south in haste with hundreds of members of the Chen and Hu families and a group of refugees from Guangning.

Halfway there, although soldiers from behind put up a desperate resistance, many Jurchen pursuers caught up with them, and the war dragged on.

When the army arrived to provide assistance, nearly half of the Chen and Hu clansmen had been lost, and almost all their money and valuables had been looted.

My father died in battle at Xipingbao, leaving behind only a pension that had been reduced to ten taels of silver.

After settling down inside Shanhaiguan, life became increasingly difficult. Fortunately, the two families supported each other and were able to make ends meet.

Ultimately, they joined forces with Cao Wenzhao, the newly appointed guerrilla general. The men of the Chen and Hu families risked their lives in front of the enemy, finally securing the survival of both families.

"Your son is unfilial... Please forgive me, Mother..."

Chen Wang bowed deeply, his voice still trembling.

Hu Mingjin paused slightly in her teacup. The resentment she had harbored for years finally wavered with that one word, "Mother."

His previously cold expression softened slightly, and the anger in his eyes dissipated considerably.

She looked at Chen Wang kneeling on the ground, her gaze complex and indescribable.

Having experienced hardship in his youth, with his father dying early, Chen Wang matured at a young age and took on the heavy responsibility of supporting his family.

When Hu Mingjin saw Chen Wang's graying temples, she felt a pang of pain in her heart, and her eyes reddened.

"Wang'er..."

Hu Mingjin stumbled down from her seat and staggered to Chen Wang's side.

The resentment that had accumulated because his eldest son had disobeyed and joined the army, and the anger that had been stirred up because his youngest son had been sent to a dangerous place, all vanished when he saw the white hair at Chen Wang's temples.

All the words of rebuke that I wanted to say were now stuck in my throat.

Her son was only thirty years old, but his face was already covered with the marks of time, and even his temples were streaked with white.

Having been away from home for over a decade, he had faced countless life-or-death situations on the battlefield and spent countless sleepless nights in the imperial court. The hardships he endured were probably far more brutal than what she had heard in Liaodong.

All these years of sword fights, so many years of open and covert struggles, so many years of trials and tribulations.

"It's because Mother is useless..."

Tears slowly streamed down Hu Mingjin's face.

"It's all Mother's fault..."

Hu Mingjin gripped Chen Wang's hand tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, her voice choked with barely suppressed sobs.

"I'm sorry, Mother."

Hu Mingjin blamed everything on herself, and all the resentment turned into endless self-reproach.

She hated that she couldn't protect her son from the wind and rain, hated her own weakness, which forced Chen Wang to shoulder heavy responsibilities at a young age.

Hu Mingjin's hand trembled as she touched the white hair at Chen Wang's temples.

“Your unfilial son left home at a young age, leaving his mother alone in the clan.”

Chen Wang also held Hu Mingjin's hand tightly, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart.

"However, the hatred of killing one's father and seizing one's land is irreconcilable. I cannot sleep day and night in the pass, and my resentment is hard to quell."

Chen Wang could feel the deepest part of his heart, the emotion that had always been hidden there.

"The mother is not wrong; it was all the son's choice."

"But Mother..."

Chen Wang clenched his teeth, his voice trembling slightly.

"The world is exhausted, the country is in turmoil. If our land is destroyed, how can we protect ourselves?"

"The nation comes first, then the family; only when the nation exists can the family exist."

Chen Wang's gaze gradually hardened.

"The world has come to this state precisely because all the people in the world only care about their own families, and all matters in the world have become matters of private interests."

"I am not reconciled!"

"I can not be reconciled!"

Chen Wang's body trembled.

"My brother and I are bound by blood."

“The grasslands are vast and extremely dangerous. If I had any other choice, I would not have sent my brother to the distant desert thousands of miles away.”

"But I have no choice."

Chen Wang lowered his head, opening his heart, which had been closed for many years, for the first time.

"I really have no other choice..."

"I embarked on this path, I chose this path, and I can only keep going, step by step."

"I can't turn back, and I can't turn back." Chen Wang's will was firm, without the slightest wavering.
In the eighth year of the Chongzhen reign, while in Qiutou Town, he had already made his choice.

He can't only think of himself, and he can't ignore others.

He didn't initially intend to be the hero who turned the tide.

But his heart was not made of iron.

He is a human being, a person with flesh and blood.

He was born in a country built upon endless blood and tears, and upon the hopes of countless people.

When he has the ability and the hope to change all of this.
He simply couldn't remain untainted.

"Back then, my mother held my hand tightly like this, and led my brother and me to eventually escape to the interior of China."

"But... we did survive."

"But within the Great Wall, and throughout the land, there are far too many people who did not live to see the day."

Chen Wang gradually stopped trembling.

"I don't want to see this happen again."

"It applies not only to us, but also to all people in the world."

Chen Wang's gaze was firm as he stared at Hu Mingjin.

"Mother."

"Everything is different now."

"I am no longer the Chen Wang I once was."

Chen Wang slowly withdrew his hand and clenched his fist.

"I can only move forward."

Chen Wang bent down and supported Hu Mingjin's arm, steadily helping his mother up.

Looking into Chen Wang's bright eyes, Hu Mingjin no longer felt the resentment and anger she had felt before.

As a mother, her eyes could not reflect the bright red python robe Chen Wang was wearing, nor the gilded jade belt around his waist; they could only reflect her own eldest son, who had endured countless hardships and whose eyes were full of weariness.

She suddenly remembered that many years ago, a pair of hands had supported her in the same way during their escape.

And now, these hands are able to support the entire world.

"You've grown up..."

Hu Mingjin looked at Chen Wang and sighed softly.

"Mother hasn't read many books, so there are many things you're saying that I don't understand."

Hu Mingjin's gaze moved down to the collar of Chen Wang's shirt.

She slowly reached out and straightened Chen Wang's slightly disheveled clothes.

"You have your own ideas, and you have things you want to do."

I won't object to what you want to do.

"Mother doesn't understand national affairs, but Mother knows that you have been a good child since you were little, and what you do must be the right thing."

Chen Wang helped Hu Mingjin sit down again, softened his tone, and changed the subject.

“Mother, the world is generally at peace now, and I have already become a Duke. Mother is now a first-rank noblewoman. It’s not too late for you to start studying now.”

Hu Mingjin's expression had softened considerably. She turned to look at Ma Yuying, who had already stood up, then stood up again and walked to Ma Yuying's side.

"I won't be able to attend your wedding in Xiangyang."

"I heard from Yu Ying that not long after your marriage, you led troops east again and did not accompany her. How long will you stay in Nanjing this time?"

“Yu Ying is about to give birth. Unless something serious happens, you should stay at home these days.”

Chen Wang smiled, looking at Ma Yuying's much more noticeable pregnant belly. His gaze softened for a moment, but then sharpened again.

"This time I led my troops back to the capital to meet His Majesty, intending to reform the country. The new policies will be implemented soon, and I will naturally be stationed in the capital."

Chen Wang's eyes sharpened slightly.

"The officials in the court have their own agendas, and undercurrents are swirling in the provinces. If I'm not stationed in Nanjing to oversee things, I'm afraid I'll find it difficult to suppress those evil forces."

"Although the Northwest is not completely pacified, several capable generals are stationed there, so there won't be any major disturbances for the time being."

"The Northern Expedition has just ended, and the soldiers are exhausted; it is not advisable to wage war again."

Chen Wang spoke calmly, and his eyes regained their composure.

"My child may be staying in Nanjing for a long time. As for the Northwest, I already have a plan."

"Zhiyi has long been a soldier and is capable of handling the overall situation. He only lacks experience in major battles. He can be promoted to the rank of general. I have also decided to use the military merits of recovering Shaanxi to obtain a marquisate for Zhiyi."

In Nanjing, the new policies have just been implemented, and it will take time for them to take effect. The political situation also needs to be stabilized, so there will inevitably be undercurrents of resistance against the new policies in the local areas.

Chen Wang did not intend to personally lead troops to recapture Shaanxi and fight against Li Zicheng.

Now, many of the generals under his command are capable of leading independently.

Chen Wang did not want to emulate Zhuge Liang. If he had to do everything himself, even a body of iron would break down.

The western expedition was to be overseen by Hu Zhiyi.

With only ten or twenty thousand soldiers, Hu Zhiyi was able to suppress Li Zicheng's army of hundreds of thousands.

There's no reason why, after handing over his elite troops to Hu Zhiyi, they would suffer such a crushing defeat despite having such a huge advantage.

His command is now filled with brilliant generals. Even if Hu Zhiyi makes a mistake in his decision-making, his officers and soldiers will not make the situation irreversible.

One of the most important reasons why Chen Wang did not directly conquer Shaanxi after the northern kingdom was that he had already decided to use Shaanxi as a training ground for Hu Zhiyi to hone his skills.

Let Hu Zhiyi step on Li Zicheng's bones to ascend to the rank of marquis, accumulate experience, and eventually become famous throughout the world.

The Western Regions are now divided into many kingdoms, and the situation is complex. Only a prudent general leading 100,000 strong troops can pacify them.

Hu Zhiyi was the best candidate.

"Zhili is now the Governor-General of Zhili, in charge of the military affairs of the entire Northern Zhili."

"When spring comes next year, Chen Gong will have subdued the Mongol tribes, and that will be the time to annihilate the Jurchens..."

Chen Wang's eyes were fierce.

"With this military merit, Zhili can firmly establish himself in the army."

"Zhiyi and Zhili, those two children, have certainly made the right choice in following you."

After helping Ma Yuying sit down again, Hu Mingjin felt somewhat emotional.

"I never imagined that those two mischievous boys who used to cause trouble in the clan would now be able to rise to the rank of marquis."

"If Mother remembers correctly, General Li was only a count back then, wasn't he?"

Chen Wang nodded and smiled.

“Mother is not mistaken.”

The General Li that Hu Mingjin mentioned was naturally Li Chengliang, the Liaodong General who guarded Liaodong and suppressed the Jurchen tribes, leaving them unable to raise their heads and only able to submit to him.

When the cities and fortresses of Liaodong fell and were destroyed, the local people of Liaodong all missed the days when Li Chengliang was in power.

At that time, under the oppression of the Li family, the people of Liaodong were still able to live and work in peace.

"but……"

Chen Wang's tone was calm.

"Liaodong is no longer the domain of the Li family..."

"And... the Ming Dynasty, soon... will no longer be the Ming Dynasty of the Zhu family..." (End of Chapter)