Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 143: Middle-aged Lady

"This?" Min Ran was so shocked that he was speechless. After hesitating for a long time, he asked, "Does the governor know that the Marquis of Nanning has been eyeing Liu Shu for a long time and wanted to take her as a concubine, and he did everything to accommodate her. Liu Shu didn't know what was good for her and actually led her troops to defect. The Marquis of Nanning hated her deeply..."

"Hmph," Danchu interrupted him and said, "I live in seclusion in Yong'an, and I have never met the Marquis of Nanning, nor do I know anything about Liu Shuying. I only know that Liu Shuying is very charming, and I fell in love with her at first sight. We are in love and will always be together. We cannot be separated for a moment."

Min Ran pondered Dan Chu's words, and seeing that his tone was stern and he refused to listen, he realized that it was useless to say more.

He hesitated for a moment and said, "There may be some misunderstandings. However, the Marquis of Nanning has conquered many cities with a strong army of no less than 50,000. To be honest, it is unwise for the governor to offend the Marquis of Nanning for a woman."

This was a naked threat. Danchu was young and hot-tempered, and he hated being threatened the most. He stared at Minran with a sinister look and said:

"Although I have only been famous for a short time, I have captured flags and killed generals, and I have been able to compete with the Tartars for supremacy. What I hate most is that others bully me because I am young and think I am insignificant. Wu Sangui is a treacherous hero, but he can still be furious. How can I, at such a young age, bear the hatred of having my wife taken away from me?
"Although my Zhaoyong Army has only been in existence for a short time, we have enough food, sharper weapons, better soldiers, and the people are at peace. If anyone dares to plot against me, I will lead my troops to fight him. No matter who comes, I will make sure he doesn't return with a single piece of armor."

These murderous words frightened Min Ran. Ever since he entered the Zhaoyong military camp, Danchu had intended to intimidate him.

The Zhaoyong Army's well-organized camp, distinctively armored soldiers, fat and strong horses, and well-ordered formations all told Min Ran that this was an army that should not be underestimated. They dared to fight and could win. Judging from their morale and weapons, they were comparable to Zhang Xianbi's standard soldiers.

"You are too kind, Governor." Min Ran said hastily, "Governor and Marquis of Nanning are both governors appointed by the imperial court. They should work together to defeat the Qing invaders. How can they start a war for a woman?"

"Hahaha." Danchu laughed loudly, leaving Minran with the illusion of moodiness. He continued, "A real man is born between heaven and earth, and he should marry a beautiful woman at home and build achievements abroad. I have a beautiful wife, and others can take her away at will, so where does that put me? I have Yong'an, and other troops can come at will, so where does that put the Zhaoyong Army?"

The soldiers inside and outside the tent glared at each other, and their armor and weapons made faint noises.

Min Ran was embarrassed and said, "The governor has misunderstood. The Marquis of Nanning sent troops to Guangxi to make friends with Lord Qu. The governor and the Lord Qu are on good terms and he will know about this soon. Later, he went south to Liuzhou to purchase military horses.

"Zhang Zhentai has always been reckless. When he heard about Liu Shuying in Liuzhou, he led his troops to visit without informing the Marshal. He wanted to take Liu Shuying back to please the Marquis of Nanning. He had no other intention."

Min Ran spoke without thinking and revealed Zhang Xianzhen's past, which made Dan Chu look down on him.

Zhang Xianbi's nickname was "Zhang Heishen". From this nickname, you can tell that he was a reckless man.

In comparison, the nicknames of other generals are quite good, and you can tell they have extraordinary talents as soon as you hear them. For example, Li Chixin's nickname is "a tiger", Sun Kewang's nickname is "a wall", Jin Shenghuan's nickname is "a bucket of millet", Li Dingguo's nickname is "little Wei Chi" and "ten thousand enemies", Ma Jinzhong's nickname is "hundreds of thousands"...

The Ming Dynasty's army was not full of chivalry, and it was not popular for military commanders to have nicknames. However, some people in the Zhaoyong Army privately nicknamed Danchu, calling him "Little Overlord", implying that his bravery was comparable to Xiang Yu.

Zhang Xianbi was a reckless man, and so was Zhang Xianzhen. Min Ran was known as a capable general in Zhang Xianbi's army, but he was also so incompetent. From this, we can see that although Zhang Xianbi had a large number of troops, they were not to be feared.

Intelligence showed that most of Zhang Xianbi's troops were infantry, mostly armed with spears, and had few bows and arrows, let alone firearms. Zhang Xianzhen's 1,000 cavalrymen were more like mounted infantry, with weak horses and exhausted soldiers, and could not stand up to a fight.

Min Ran left in anger. Zhang Xianzhen led his troops to station outside Sanhe Township for two days. In the end, he did not dare to attack and led his troops back to Huguang.

It is really speechless. Zhang Xianbi led his army to counterattack Huguang, but he still had the time to send troops south to Guangxi, just like child's play.

This reminds me that He Tengjiao abandoned Zhang Xianbi and ordered Hao Yongzhong to attack Chen Youlong, and tens of thousands of Ming troops were stationed outside Yongzhou City. The Ming troops on the front line had such a bad character that the future was worrying.

Danchu had no regrets for offending Zhang Xianbi this time. In such a chaotic world, if you want to do great things, you must offend people. Danchu was powerless to change the situation, so he could only fight to develop and expand the Zhaoyong Army.

"Miss Liu, Zhang Xianzhen has withdrawn his troops and will not cause trouble again in the future." Danchu summoned Liu Shu alone, dismissed the guards, and said frankly: "It's just that I was presumptuous and falsely claimed that I had taken you as my concubine. The matter was done, and Zhang Xianzhen left in anger." Liu Shu had already heard about what happened, and the matter had also spread among the personal soldiers. It was indeed true, and the matter was done. If I rashly refused, I was afraid that I would let down the general's kindness.

She blushed and lowered her head unconsciously, saying, "How can a mere woman like me tarnish the reputation of the Marshal?"

It seemed that she was speaking against her will. There was no one in the room, and Danchu looked at her wantonly. She was 28 years old, without any makeup, with a fresh temperament, plain and simple, and a slightly frosted face, but she had an elegant beauty that could not be concealed.

This is a kind of mature beauty with a different kind of charm. Qu Xuanhui is dignified and generous, a lady from a noble family; Zhu Shulu is elegant and noble, a noblewoman from the royal family; Mo Yufen is heroic and valiant, a daughter of a powerful family. Liu Shuze has been a widow for a long time, has experienced legends, and has been through many hardships, but she still has all kinds of charm and leisurely charm, which is fascinating.

"Otherwise," Danchu was a little nervous, and his voice couldn't help but lower a few degrees, and said: "To be honest, I am also quite moved by Miss Liu."

Liu Shu was wearing a long gown with vertical collar and double-breasted front, straight sleeves. The color was plain and her look was solemn and dignified, which was a common attire for women of noble families of the Han nationality since the Han Chinese migrated south.

Since the Chenghua period, the Ming Dynasty's national power has grown day by day, and women's clothing has become more exquisite and extravagant. During the Jiaqing and Wanli periods, folk clothing has repeatedly violated the rules, and women's clothing is often wrapped with gold and silver threads, which is extremely extravagant.

During the Chongzhen period, the Ming Dynasty had declined, and Emperor Weizong advocated frugality, so women's clothing changed from gorgeous and gorgeous to elegant and simple.

Today, the Southern Ming Dynasty is full of blue, gray, green and other cold-colored clothes to show its hardship and solemnity. The exquisite luxury pursued from Chenghua to Wanli seems to be a distant dream.

Liu Shu's gown trembled slightly, and she felt excited and nervous. The matter was settled. Before coming to the general's mansion, she had imagined this scene, but now she heard Danchu say it in person, but her face was still flushed and her body was shaking.

She had long been determined to remain faithful to her husband, and despite repeated persecution by Zhang Xianbi, she still maintained her innocence. Cen Danchu saved her twice, even at the cost of making enemies with Zhang Xianbi, which was touching.

Moreover, Danchu was young, had great ambitions, and was successful in his career. He was exactly the object of admiration of all women in the world and was by no means comparable to a reckless man like Zhang Xianbi.

Liu Shu had been a widow for ten years, but she was still young and her love was still there. As a married woman, she was not as shy as a virgin. She raised her head and said:
"My late husband and I have a son named Wang Hua, who is only ten years old and has no one to rely on."

Isn’t this a ready-made adopted son?
Danchu grew bolder, approached Liu Shu, and took her hand. Unlike the other three ladies, Liu Shu's hand was slightly warmer, as if a flame was burning.

Liu Shu did not retract her hands, but turned her face to the side, revealing her rosy neck.

Danchu smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. Just let Wang Hua live with you. In the future, you can also let him continue the Wang family's incense."

"Thank you, Marshal."

Danchu couldn't bear it any longer, so he pulled Liu Shu into the inner room and hugged her tightly.

In ancient times, life expectancy was low, and women approaching 30 were considered middle-aged women. Liu Shu was already 28 years old, 10 years older than Danchu, and although she was already middle-aged, she gave Danchu an inexplicable sense of security.

He lay in Liu Shu's arms, unwilling to get up for a long time, feeling a long-lost warmth, softness, and comfort. The long-accumulated fatigue, exhaustion, patience, helplessness, and stubbornness were all swept away in an instant.

Liu Shu had been a widow for ten years, and now her heart was filled with love, and her long-dormant desires were awakened. She responded to Danchu eagerly, and her charm left Danchu wanting more.

(End of this chapter)