Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 269 Old Zhu's Murderous Nature

The 18th year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the 15th year of the Yongli reign of the Southern Ming Dynasty.

On the 18th day of the seventh lunar month (August 12 in the Gregorian calendar), King Mang Bai of Burma killed more than 300 officials and followers of the Southern Ming Dynasty at the banks of the Cursed River, and captured the Southern Ming Emperor Zhu Youlang. This event is known in history as the Cursed River Disaster.

At this time, the Qing army had occupied almost the entire territory of China, and the remaining resistance forces consisted only of Li Dingguo's troops and Bai Wenxuan's troops on the Yunnan border, as well as the Thirteen Families of Kuidong.

As for Zheng Chenggong, after his defeat in the Northern Expedition to Nanjing, he had no choice but to retreat to Xiamen and focus his main efforts on attacking Taiwan in the face of increasingly severe encirclement and suppression by the Qing government.

Because the Qing dynasty was already very powerful at that time, during the Shunzhi reign, there were as many as 50 to 60 peasant rebels and surrendered Ming soldiers.

Including the Manchu, Mongol, and Han Eight Banners and other tribal auxiliary troops, the total military strength of the early Qing Dynasty was over 80.

Most importantly, the Qing dynasty absorbed a large number of surrendered officials, which helped them stabilize the situation and address issues in the early stages of the dynasty, such as taxation, transportation, public security, and the development of weapons and equipment.

In contrast, the anti-Qing forces at this time, including Li Dingguo and Bai Wenxuan's troops in the southwest, numbered only about 10,000 to 20,000, and the thirteen families in Kuidong were about the same.

Zheng Chenggong had a slightly larger force, but after the Battle of Nanjing, he only had 30,000 to 40,000 men left.

Li Dingguo and Bai Wenxuan had no stable base in the territory, and the bases of the Thirteen Families of Kuidong were being eroded less and less. Zheng Chenggong was forced to attack Taiwan and take it as a base for resisting the Qing.

Therefore, given the huge disparity in troop strength and national power, it can be said that the chances of success in resisting the Qing Dynasty at this time were almost slim.

Let alone the appearance of a time traveler.

Even if dozens of time travelers appeared, carrying dozens of modern firearms, they probably wouldn't be able to succeed in overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming, given the already established Qing regime.

However, Zhu Yunfeng is an exception.

Because he didn't bring dozens, but tens of thousands of weapons, and not just firearms, but also machine guns, rocket launchers, rapid-fire cannons, sniper rifles, drones, night vision goggles, robotic dogs, mortars, and other combat tools.

Therefore, upon hearing that it was now the fifteenth year of the Yongli reign, and that the last resistance force of the Southern Ming would be completely wiped out next year, he was not afraid at all.

The only problem might be whether or not to save Emperor Yongli.

Hunan is very far from Myanmar.

The straight-line distance is 1400 kilometers, but the actual distance should be around 1600 kilometers. In less than two months, they would have to pass through the Qing government's blockade, which would not be easy.

"Go and report the information you have gathered to the founding emperor."

Once Zhu Yunfeng learned that it was already the fifteenth year of the Yongli reign, he no longer needed to ask any further questions.

Firstly, his ancestors now live a quiet life in the mountains, detached from worldly affairs. Due to their lack of information, they are completely in the dark about what is happening outside, so asking them would be pointless.

Secondly, once the time period is known, all the records of the situation at that time can be found in historical materials, including the movements of all parties, the mobilization of Qing troops, and so on.

Therefore, time is very important.

"Yes!"

Mao Xiang agreed and hurried to the small hill on the opposite bank, preparing to return to Hongwu to report to Zhu Yuanzhang.

After Mao Xiang left, Zhu Yunfeng looked at Zhu Cibei.

Although Zhu Cibei was certain that the other party was most likely not an official, he was still somewhat uneasy.

What if the other party went back to get help?

But thinking about it carefully, it doesn't seem necessary.

They've all caught them. Surely more than twenty people can't escort this family of five?

Thinking about this, Zhu Cibei gradually calmed down.

However, the next second, Zhu Yunfeng's words almost scared Zhu Cibei so much that he peed his pants.

"Ancestor, why don't you declare yourself emperor in Hunan?"

"Who? Me?"

Zhu Cibei's eyes widened, and he pointed at himself in disbelief, saying, "Me, an emperor?"

"Yes."

Zhu Yunfeng nodded naturally and said, "Emperor Taizu only stayed in the mortal world for a year or two. At most, he destroyed the Qing Dynasty and then went back. We must rebuild the Ming Dynasty here. Chongzhen's descendants are all gone, so someone has to raise the banner of resistance against the Qing. Emperor Yongli is a bit lacking, and he is too far away. Why don't you make do with him? You can become an emperor in the future."

"????"

Zhu Cibei's mind went blank on the spot.

I'll declare myself emperor and fight against the Qing Dynasty?

real or fake?

You brat, you even claim to be my sixteenth-generation descendant?

This is no grandson.

More like a living Yama.

Xiao died.

For a moment, Zhu Cibei even suspected that the other party was a member of the Manchu government and was now playing a trick on him.

If you're just playing a trick on him, he wouldn't have enough heads to chop off.

Therefore, Zhu Cibei really couldn't understand what the other party meant.

However, Zhu Yunfeng also had his reasons.

Although our ancestors were indeed emperors, we have to go back about twenty generations.

It can even be traced back to that guy Zhu Qizhen.

Because the Prince of Ji's residence was the fiefdom of Zhu Jianjun, the son of Zhu Qizhen.

Now Zhu Yuanzhang is going to sweep away the Qing dynasty in the Southern Ming and rebuild the Ming dynasty.

After Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself in the southeast, the whereabouts of his sons disappeared, and without legitimate imperial heirs, he lost his legitimacy and righteousness.

The Southern Ming Dynasty's lack of legitimacy led to the rise of several emperors who vied for power and profit, and its failure to effectively unite the people. As a result, it was defeated one by one by the Manchus and eventually perished.

Therefore, the most urgent task now is definitely to raise the banner.

Zhu Yuanzhang was indeed the biggest figurehead, but he himself wouldn't stay in the Southern Ming for long. After destroying the Qing Dynasty, he would have to go back, and there would still need to be a member of the Southern Ming imperial family to become emperor.

Yongli was too far away, and he was a puppet throughout his life. He also lacked his own opinions and was basically unfit for important tasks.

Although it's uncertain whether my ancestor can become emperor, judging from his character and conduct, he at least possesses some wisdom and understands the principle of self-preservation.

Furthermore, as Zhu Yunfeng's direct ancestor, who else would receive such benefits if not him?
But Zhu Cibei clearly didn't see it as a good thing. Upon hearing the bad news, he burst into tears on the spot: "Master, heroes, please spare us! Our whole family has come to hide in the mountains. Besides, I am just a distant member of the royal family. If you want to start a rebellion, you should find a direct descendant of the Prince Ji's family. Why did you choose me?"

He realized that the other party was definitely talking nonsense and that they were just rebels trying to start a rebellion by finding a member of the Zhu family to raise their banner.

Zhu Yunfeng guessed his thoughts from his words and said with a smirk, "Ancestor, you don't think we're here to drag you into a rebellion, do you?"

"No, no, I just..."

Although Zhu Cibei said he dared not, the expression on his face betrayed him.

Zhu Yunfeng chuckled, "Forget it, you definitely won't believe me if I explain now. Just wait. The Great Ancestor will definitely send people over. They'll most likely deliver supplies first, then troops, and then you'll believe me."

While they were talking, Mao Xiang acted quickly. In less than ten minutes, he had already relayed the message, and Old Zhu had sent someone over.

With the stone tablet providing teleportation, it was incredibly convenient. Mao Xiang jogged all the way to the opposite hillside, crawled through a hole, and returned to the Hongwu Dynasty.

Then he spoke to Zhu Di, who was in the Qianqing Palace, and Zhu Di was summoned over.

At this moment, Zhu Di stepped into the room.

Zhu Yunfeng then introduced, "Ancestor, let me introduce you to this man, the Prince of Yan of the Ming Dynasty, the initiator of the Jingnan Campaign, the God of War of Baigou River, Emperor Taizong of Ming, Emperor Yongle, Emperor Wen, Emperor Chengzu of Ming, Zhu Di!"

"???" Zhu Cibei was completely puzzled.

Zhu Di rolled his eyes at Zhu Yunfeng and said, "Are you out of your mind? Stop watching Game of Thrones."

As he spoke, he walked towards Zhu Cibei, reached out and shook his hand, and said happily, "Hello, hello, I am Zhu Di, they all call me the Yongle Emperor."

"."

Faced with the two men's relaxed, even somewhat nonchalant, expressions, Zhu Cibei could only remain silent.

Is this a time for everyone to have fun together?

Now the Qing dynasty has gained the upper hand, and the outside world is full of Qing troops, while the government officials are all Qing lackeys.

These people all seem to have more impressive titles than the last: Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, His Highness Prince Wu, Emperor Yongle, and soon even Emperor Taizu will appear.

No matter how prestigious the reputation, the Qing army's swords don't discriminate.

Zhu Cibei couldn't understand what gave the other party such confidence, or whether what Zhu Yunfeng said was true, and that the Great Ancestor was really going to descend to earth to save the world.

As the group talked, the atmosphere gradually eased. However, the guards still had to remain vigilant. The group dispersed, seemingly with their arms crossed, leaning against the doorway or standing outside, but in reality, they still subtly surrounded the entire room.

Zhu Yunfeng and Zhu Di then brought over a few chairs and sat at the only table in the room, inviting the ancestral family to sit down as well.

Zhu Cibei remained cautious, letting his wife take their daughter back to the bedroom while he sat to the side with his eldest and second sons. He did this to show that he truly had no ulterior motives.

Seeing how cautious his ancestor was, Zhu Yunfeng felt even more confident in making him emperor.

Although being cautious is not a great advantage for an emperor and makes him seem like a mediocre ruler, in this chaotic world, being cautious is not a bad thing; at least it can prolong one's life.

"What did the ancestors say?"

"He said he understood and told us to come and occupy the area first, and that he would send someone over to deliver supplies later."

"I knew it! What kind of amazing treasures are they planning to get their hands on this time?"

"That's a lot."

Speaking of this, Zhu Di was no longer sleepy and perked up, saying, "They have all QBZ assault rifles and sniper rifles. Other equipment such as drones and night vision devices are standard. They also have rocket launchers and rapid-fire cannons. Oh, and machine guns and helicopters too."

"what?"

Zhu Yunfeng's mouth dropped open: "The helicopter is here?"

Helicopters were actually very suitable for ancient warfare because they could fly at low altitudes, only one or two hundred meters above the ground, and fire machine guns at the ground. No weapon in ancient times could threaten their existence.

Most importantly, by 2032, the number of helicopter crashes around the world will be countless.

After the industrial capacity of those old Western developed countries declined, their helicopter research and development capabilities were worrying, and their performance stagnated. Many of them were still using helicopters from the 80s and 90s.

For example, the large helicopter was manufactured in 91, which ultimately led to him going to play ball with God.

In contrast, my country's helicopter technology has always been among the world's best, with extremely reliable safety performance. Using drones for combat is like throwing a two-dimensional foil into the Milky Way.

The problem is that flying a helicopter is not like flying a drone. Drones are small and can be flown proficiently with just one or two days of training.

Helicopters not only require experienced pilots, but also logistical support.

Such as gasoline, machine guns, bullets, special forces personnel, etc.

After contact with the modern world, these things were actually not a big deal. But Zhu Yuanzhang did not want the modern world to get involved, nor did he want the modern world to send troops. He only wanted to lead the Hongwu soldiers to sweep across the Qing Dynasty.

This means that the quality of helicopter pilots, logistical capabilities, and other resource allocations are far inferior to those of modern helicopters.

What if the pilots who have only been trained for a period of time are sent by Hongwu pilots and they also crash?
"hey-hey."

Zhu Di chuckled and said, "Have you ever heard of unmanned helicopters?"

"Unmanned helicopter?"

Zhu Yunfeng slapped his forehead and said, "Right, I almost forgot about this thing. Our country's technology for this has long been leading the world."

While drones are useful, in combat they are basically only used for dropping bombs or for carrying explosives to crash into something and explode.

In contrast, helicopters can not only drop bombs, but also be equipped with machine guns for strafing, and even have rockets mounted under the fuselage, making them far more lethal than drones.

Therefore, my country has been researching unmanned helicopters, and by 2032, the technology will be very mature and the helicopters will be in service with the armed forces.

Obviously.

Even though unmanned helicopters still can't compare to real helicopters, they are essentially a game-changer against the Manchu cavalry.

"It's a pity we couldn't bring so many good things with us: rockets, fighter jets, tanks."

"Be content. Why bring all that stuff when you're fighting a bunch of Manchu barbarians?"

"Father said that not only the Manchu Tartars, but all officials, Green Standard Army generals and soldiers who surrendered to the Jurchens should be killed."

“Kill them all? That would probably kill over a million people. Besides, many low-ranking soldiers aren’t necessarily bad; they’re caught in the crossfire of this chaotic world.”

"Hmph, of course I know that even ants try to survive, and those ordinary soldiers just want to live or follow the orders of their superiors. But war is a matter of life and death. Since we have chosen to help the Jurchens and become traitors to our nation, we must be prepared to die."

"Ok."

Zhu Yunfeng scratched his head.

Our ancestors were indeed very bloodthirsty.

But there is nothing we can do.

From Zhu Yunfeng's perspective as an outsider, many of those low-ranking soldiers in the Green Camp were innocent people.

They can only be described as going with the flow.

For example, the Guan Ning cavalry, if Wu Sangui wanted to surrender, they naturally had no choice but to surrender as well.

This was an inevitable trend, and the lower-ranking soldiers were powerless to change it.

But for Zhu Yuanzhang, defection was defection, especially since he was defecting not to Han Chinese, but to the Jurchens from beyond the Great Wall, whose hands were stained with the blood of Han Chinese.

This is not the late Ming Dynasty. At that time, the Jurchens had not yet entered the pass, and the massacres they launched were relatively few.

This was during the late Southern Ming Dynasty.

The Yangzhou Massacre, the Jiading Massacre, and other similar events have already occurred, and millions of Han Chinese have died at the hands of the Manchu Jurchens.

Those members of the Green Standard Army acted as executioners for the Jurchens.

For example, during the Yangzhou Massacre, Li Chengdong, Liu Liangzuo, and other troops served as the main force in attacking the city and participated in the massacre.

Li Chengdong was also the direct commander of the first two massacres in the Jiading Massacre.

These are just two massive massacres.

The other small and medium-sized massacres, and the atrocities committed by the surrendered Han generals and soldiers, are too numerous to mention.

Although the Manchu soldiers were the main force in the massacre, their aid and abettion made them deeply hated.

Therefore, from Zhu De's perspective, even if these people were forced to become traitors, they still killed too many compatriots, so they could not be let off easily.

Given his character, those Green Standard Army soldiers were probably doomed to die.

As for the generals who surrendered and slaughtered Han people, they will probably suffer a lot of punishment.

Individual execution by slow slicing is just the norm; the execution of the entire family and even nine generations of relatives is the standard practice.

Those who spearheaded the massacres, such as Dorgon and Dodo, also could not escape the fate of being executed by slow slicing.

They slaughtered a million soldiers in Jiangnan.

(End of this chapter)