The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 166: Sun and Moon in My Arms
On the third day of September in the first year of Taichang, the main force of the Kaiyuan army arrived at the port of Jinzhouwei.

The troop transport ships sent by Dengzhou were waiting early at various docks, and the Dengzhou Water Camp summoned nearly a thousand sailors to assist the Kaiyuan army in landing in Weihaiwei.

On the fourth day of September, the sea outside Jinzhouwei Port was covered with masts like a forest and white sails like clouds.

The fire soldiers were like tireless ants, running back and forth between the camp and the dock, carrying artillery, food, weapons and armor onto the Fu ships.

A captain from the Dengzhou Water Camp kept urging them that the Wenxiang Sect had entered the Dengzhou territory and would attack Wendeng County in the next few days.

Liu Zhaosun had no choice but to hire soldiers from the nearby Fuzhou and Jinzhou garrisons to help with transportation in order to speed up the progress.

With a reward of half a tael of silver per person, the centurions and thousand-household officers of the surrounding garrisons led a large number of garrison soldiers and rushed to the Jinzhou Wharf.

These soldiers from the Liaonan garrisons were all dressed in rags and were much worse off than the soldiers from the Kuandian and Fushun garrisons.

Ping Liaohou led a group of civil and military officials to stand at the port, and the commanders of each camp loudly ordered the combat soldiers and artillery soldiers to speed up the transportation of supplies onto the ships.

Yuan Chonghuan looked at a hunchbacked soldier in front of him and found that the man was not even wearing shoes or pants.

Sun Chuanting had been in Liaozhong for a long time and knew a little about the Liaonan garrisons. He whispered:
"Liaozhong is fine, but here in Fuzhou and Jinzhou, the land is barren. The two garrisons have been in arrears with military pay for years, and the fields under the names of military households have been occupied by military leaders. Two years ago, there was a severe drought in southern Liaoning. In some places in Fuzhou, the people were cannibalistic. Many military households sold their children and fled to Shandong."

Liu Zhaosun shook his head and waved his hand to interrupt. He had heard too many tragic stories like this and didn't want to hear them anymore.

These thin military households worked very hard and quickly moved all the supplies. Then they timidly went to the commanders of each camp to collect their money.

Kang Yingqian clapped his hands and laughed, "That's the trick Ping Liaohou used."

Everyone was somewhat puzzled and looked towards Inspector Kang. Kang Yingqian pretended to be profound and said:
"Back in Kuandian, General Liu provided wages and food to the Korean soldiers, allowing them to safely cross the Yalu River. This won them over, and that's how we were able to achieve such an unstoppable victory in Korea this past March..."

"Today, we have allowed the garrison soldiers to witness the splendor of our army. When the Kaiyuan Army marches into southern Liaoning in the future, it will surely be unstoppable and unstoppable. This thousand taels of silver, Lord Liu, is well spent!"

Liu Zhaosun chuckled. He hadn't thought of so much. Lao Kang's imagination was too strong.

Two hundred large and small Fu ships and bird ships, loaded with soldiers and war horses, cut through the waves and sailed towards Weihai, Shandong.

Liu Zhaosun was riding on a large Fujian ship, which was nearly thirty meters long. The hull was like a building and could accommodate a hundred people.

The bow of the ship was equipped with six Portuguese cannons, three bowl-mouth guns, and twenty thunder cannons.

There are protective plates on both sides of the Fu ship, which are covered with densely packed thatched bamboo. The lower layer is equipped with ballast stones, and the middle layer is for living.

It only takes two days to travel from Jinzhouwei to Weihaiwei with a favorable wind.

Hundreds of people were crowded in the small cabin, feeling cramped and bored. For young boys in their twenties, friction and fights were inevitable over time.

The captains of the flags in each camp carried wooden sticks and beat people one by one, running around to maintain order.

The Kaiyuan Army has strict military discipline, but it does not restrict ordinary fights like this as long as it is not intentional bullying.

Soldiers represent violence. If they are suppressed too much, they will lose their courage and go to the other extreme.

Many soldiers saw the sea for the first time and were quite amazed, pointing at the blue sea and sky.

~~~~
In a small room on the middle deck of the Fu ship, near the stern, the candlelight was as dim as a bean.

Marquis Ping Liao and General An Yuan sat at a table.

Jin Yuji stood straight, her beautiful big eyes looking at her husband with bright eyes.

Liu Zhaosun held a map of Dengzhou in his hand, and by the flickering candlelight, he pointed at the towns and rivers marked on the map, muttering to himself;
"Dawen River, Xingezhuang, Yangtai Town, Huangxian County, Qixia County, Wendeng County...Dengzhou is so huge! 20,000 people might not be enough."

Seeing that the official looked serious, Jin Yuji couldn't bear to interrupt his thoughts and watched silently from the side.

As the Fu ship sailed into the deep Bohai Sea, the hull began to shake more and more violently.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Liu Zhaosun said loudly without even looking up:
"Come in!"

The low wooden door was pushed open from the outside, and a salty, fishy sea breeze filled the room. Jin Yuji felt nauseous, but she held back from vomiting.

"General Liu, it's rare that you're in the mood to read by candlelight at night. It's a bit chilly on the deck, so please come in and take a look. I hope you don't mind me."

Kang Yinggan glanced at Jin Yuji, who was dressed in military uniform, and bowed slightly to her. General Anyuan was a third-rank official, on par with Inspector Kang. Now Kang Yinggan no longer dared to call her a Korean girl.

Jin Yuji said nothing. Kang Yingqian did not feel embarrassed and sat down. He saw the map of Dengzhou in Ping Liaohou's hand and was about to speak about the Wenxiang Sect's riots when he heard Liu Zhaosun say:

"I don't know if Yuan Keli is easy to deal with. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Is Supervisor Kang familiar with him?"

Kang Yingqian stroked his beard and said calmly:

"Yuan Keli was a Jinshi in the 20th year of the Wanli reign. He was upright and courageous, and his ability was no less than Xiong Tingbi's. When he was a magistrate in Suzhou, he ignored the opposition of the governor and advocated for the redress of unjust, false and wrong cases, which made him famous throughout the country."

Kang Yingqian chuckled and kept the question in suspense.

"General Liu, do you know who Governor Yuan saved in the past?"

Liu Zhaosun was stunned for a moment, put down the map in his hand, and asked with great interest: "Ah, who did you save?"

"This person is right beside you and me."

Liu Zhaosun was very unfamiliar with Yuan Keli and knew little about his life. He only knew that this person seemed to have assisted Dongjiang Town in harassing the Later Jin.

From Xiong Tingbi to Yuan Yingtai, every time they made achievements and dealt with civil officials, they would always encounter some unpleasant things, as if it had become a pattern.

As a result, Liu Zhaosun now has a shadow in his heart.

Liu Zhaosun was very interested in Yuan Keli's past. He had heard that the person Yuan Keli had saved was right next to him. Could it be Jin Yuji? She hadn't been born yet, right?

Just as he was about to turn around, he heard Jin Yuji vomit. Liu Zhaosun was shocked and quickly took out his handkerchief to wipe her.

Kang Yinggan glanced at General Anyuan's lower abdomen, as if thinking about something.

He stood up, said goodbye to Ping Liaohou, and walked out with a smile.

Liu Zhaosun picked up the teapot, poured hot tea, and personally handed it to his wife. He asked anxiously, "What's wrong with you? Aren't you seasick?"

Jin Yuji's face flushed, and she seemed to be hesitant to speak.

This pair of partners who have shared weal and woe have always been inseparable.

When setting out from Kaiyuan, Liu Zhaosun insisted on not letting Jin Yuji follow him.

Although the Wenxiang Sect's combat power is not as good as that of the Later Jin, on the battlefield, swords and knives have no eyes, and it is impossible to have good luck every time.

But she still followed.

Liu Zhaosun looked at Jin Yuji's shy expression, suddenly realized what was going on, patted his forehead, and hugged her in his arms.

"I'm going to break my promise again. It's the 15th day of August now. I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany my wife on a boat trip across the lake, or go to Canglang Pavilion with you to enjoy the breeze and bright moon. This is a lifelong regret!"

Jin Yuji took a sip of hot tea and said with a giggle:
"Isn't this the same boat trip I'm taking with you? It's just that we're not on the river. I'll go outside and see if there's a bright moon and a gentle breeze."

As he was about to stand up, Liu Zhaosun laughed and grabbed Jin Yuji.

He leaned over the fish scales and listened quietly.

interlocking fingers.

The blessed boat sways in the wind.

"Hey, he's moving!"

Jin Yuji rolled her eyes at him and said with a smirk:
"How can it be that fast? It's the boat that's moving!"

"It's heartbeat..."

~~~~~
In the woods southwest of Wendeng County, Pei Dahu and several of his men were lurking near the Wenxiang Sect camp.

The followers of the Wenxiang sect, wearing red scarves, gathered in a cypress forest. Various debris were scattered on the ground, and women's screams could be heard from the forest from time to time.

Wisps of smoke rose from the clearing in the forest. The believers set up large iron pots and threw the stolen chickens and ducks into them to cook.

From the time the uprising began in May to now, this Red Turban Army has marched all the way from Yanzhou Prefecture to Qingzhou Prefecture, capturing eight counties and two prefectures.

In Yanzhou Prefecture, except for the largest family, Duke Yansheng, all other wealthy families were basically robbed clean by them.

Because of the chain reaction caused by the time traveler, soldiers from various prefectures in Shandong were transferred to the Liaodong battlefield, giving Xu Hongru the opportunity to become powerful.

Compared to the original history, the White Lotus Rebellion in this time and space progressed more smoothly. At least before the Kaiyuan Army intervened, it could be said to be invincible.

The White Lotus Sect members in Liaodong reported to the Dagui (the title of the White Lotus Sect leader) that Ping Liaohou was gathering troops and preparing to march into Shandong.

Xu Hongru judged that it was impossible for the Ming army to cross the Bohai Sea in a short period of time, so he did not take Liu Zhaosun seriously. Once the Christians occupied Shandong and captured the capital, they could command the whole world. What was there to fear from the Liaodong troops?

The White Lotus Sect existed for at least a thousand years, dating back to the early Southern Song Dynasty. Its teachings originated from the Tiantai Sect and Pure Land Sect of Buddhism. Its founder was Mao Ziyuan. His followers were required to be vegetarians and chant sutras, but they were allowed to marry and have children. It was regarded as a heresy by orthodox Buddhism.

Before Zhu Yuanzhang became successful, the Red Turban Army he belonged to actually came from the White Lotus Sect. The early Ming army had close relations with the White Lotus Sect. After Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne, he immediately declared the White Lotus Sect to be a heresy and evil sorcery, and brutally suppressed his former brothers.

From then on, the White Lotus Sect and the Ming regime fought to the death, from the Hongwu and Yongle periods to the time when Emperor Chongzhen was hanged on a crooked tree.

During the Jiajing period, the White Lotus Sect in the western town of Xuanda Mountain even colluded with the Mongolian Tartars, acting as guides to invade the Ming Dynasty.

In the late Ming Dynasty, civil unrest broke out everywhere, and the imperial court was unable to respond. The White Lotus Sect grew wildly and became even more powerful.

Sects such as Wenxiang, Nirvana, Luozu, Jingkong, and Wuwei are all variants of the White Lotus. The believers were forced to change their names in order to escape the bloody suppression of the imperial court.

The founder of the Wenxiang Sect, to which Xu Hongru belongs, is his master Wang Sen.

Wang Sen was originally a leather worker. Later he went to Penglai Pavilion to fast for 49 days. After returning, he claimed that he had obtained a strange fragrance from a fox demon, and thus took the name Wenxiang.

Wang Sen instructed Xu Hongru to fabricate "The Avatamsaka Sutra on the Eight Deities of Smell of Fragrance" and "The Sutra of Pointing to the East". He was later arrested and executed by slow slicing in the capital.

Wang Sen was brutal by nature, and his followers were also fearless. This Wenxiang Sect was determined to overthrow the Ming Dynasty, and they all wore red scarves, which could be said to be the inheritance of Zhu Yuanzhang's Red Scarf Army.

Xu Hongru claimed that he was the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha and Chen Tuan, and that all his followers possessed supernatural powers, were invulnerable to swords and guns, and were immortal.

Although there are many believers, they are just a mob.

Wu Xiao looked at the chaotic group of believers in the distance, shook his head and cursed, "What kind of a rabble is this? How could they occupy so many prefectures and counties?"

Pei Dahu held a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth and stared at the rioters in the distance: "I'm afraid there are tens of thousands of troops. When General Liu arrives, the end of these monsters will come."

When he said this, he turned around and looked at Lin Yu behind him. The big guy was curled up in the grass and motionless.

"Lin Yu! Once we defeat the Wenxiang Cult, capture Sangui alive. Our informant says this bastard has another two hundred thousand taels of silver hidden in Wendeng!"

(End of this chapter)