The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 49 Me too

The lean Wei Zhongxian stood in front of a group of warriors, his aura was not inferior to theirs, and it was obvious at first glance that he was a martial artist.

The incense table that was set up temporarily faced south, which was the direction of the emperor, and three incense sticks were burning, emitting curls of smoke.

Yang Hao, the highest-ranking official, staggered with the help of two servants, knelt down and kowtowed five times.

There was no change in Wei Zhongxian's expression. Although he was not the eunuch in charge of the imperial seal, he represented the imperial power and was naturally noble.

All the generals knelt on the ground and kowtowed four times in front of the incense table. Under everyone's expectant eyes, Eunuch Wei slowly unfolded the imperial edict.

The imperial edict is about two feet wide and more than three feet long.

Below the two auspicious cloud patterns is the main text of the imperial edict, with the words "By the Order of Heaven" engraved in gold, which is extraordinary.

Wei Zhongxian glanced at the crowd and read aloud:

"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, decrees:

"For over three years, the rebels have been stirring up trouble in Liaodong, and my heart is filled with grief. My Eastern Army has suffered a defeat, and my heart is broken. The Liao situation has been decided by many officials, and according to the agreement, Li Ruzhen has been appointed as the commander-in-chief. Li Rubai has been withdrawn pending investigation and will be severely punished! Former Governor Xiong Tingbi is ordered to lead the army in Liao with a large force and generous pay. Former Governor Yang Hao was incompetent in his position and should have been arrested! However, the enemy situation was urgent, and there was no one to defend against him. Furthermore, his subordinate Liu Zhaosun led the southern troops in a night attack on the Jiannu, defeating the Blue Banner troops, beheading the chieftain Amin in battle, and destroying them in a single blow at Hunjiang, beheading 1,500 people and capturing three Niulu Ezhen, thus saving Liaodong from collapse. Governor Yang Hao, for his meritorious planning and pacification of the Eastern Rebellion, has been allowed to retire, and Xiong Tingbi will be given full authority over the Liao situation. Qiao Yiqi and Kang Yingqian, for their effective military supervision, will receive additional rewards upon their return to Beijing."

After reading this, Wei Zhongxian paused for a moment, looked up and looked around, wondering if he was looking for Kang Yingqian.

Liu Zhaosun crouched down, thinking to himself:

It turns out that this Eunuch Wei can read. The unofficial history I read before was all nonsense. They described the Nine Thousand Year Old Man as black as coal and said he was illiterate.

"The Battle of Hunjiang was the greatest victory the Nu chieftains have achieved since their rebellion. Now, I have found Liu Zhaosun, a young man of heroic character and striking appearance, skilled in martial arts and bravery. He defended Qinglongcheng with his flag raised, and his achievements were as remarkable as those of Ban Chao at Dingyuan! He led 30,000 Tiger Guards back to Shenyang, inspiring the people. The heroes of Liaozhong all rallied to support him, securing food and support. His remarkable achievements are truly gratifying. I promote Liu Zhaosun to the rank of Lieutenant General of Kaiyuan, acting Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Left Army Commandery, and bestow upon him the rank of High Guardian. I have also found Liu Zhaosun's wife, Yang, to be virtuous and gracious, and have granted her the title of Imperial Consort. I have also issued 8,000 taels of gold from the imperial treasury as a reward for the troops. I decree this."

Liu Zhaosun was overjoyed. He didn't expect that he would be promoted four levels in a row and directly promoted to Lieutenant General. Yang Qing'er also became a noble lady.

I am one step closer to my dream of achieving great things.

Wait, how did Wanli know that he was getting married? The Jinyiwei’s intelligence capabilities must be too strong.

Eight thousand taels of silver was just a drop in the bucket, but for Wanli it was a huge investment.

The court's attitude was very clear. It wanted Liu Zhaosun to be a sharp sword, deeply piercing Liaodong to check and balance the Liaozhen that was gradually moving away.

Yang Hao's life was saved after all, and perhaps he will have a chance to make a comeback in the future.

But Xiong Tingbi is coming soon, and I don’t know if I can get along well with him.

I heard that this person has a hot temper and killing a lieutenant general is as easy as killing a chicken.

Yang Hao and Liu Zhaosun led everyone in accepting the decree and expressing their gratitude:

"Long live Long live Long live!"

The generals kowtowed a few more times and finally stood up.

Yang Hao's eyes went dark and he passed out. After the turmoil of the past few days, the old man's energy had reached its limit.

Everyone rushed forward, pinched his Ren Zhong acupoint and gave him tea. Yang Hao was tormented for a long time before he came to his senses and bowed to Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian sighed and asked his servants to take Yang Jinglie downstairs to rest.

Wei Zhongxian smiled and handed the imperial edict to Liu Zhaosun.

Liu Zhaosun was terrified. He took the imperial edict and winked at Qiao Yiqi. Qiao Yiqi knew that he had to borrow money from him again.

Liu Zhaosun lent him eight thousand taels of silver, saying that he would pay back Mr. Qiao double when he became successful in the future.

Even though the Qiao family was a wealthy family in Jiangnan, they couldn't stand wasting money like this. Qiao Yiqi cursed a few times, turned back to the wing room, and searched through the boxes and cabinets for the money.

After Wei Zhongxian finished his announcement, he looked up at the generals, bowed to Liu Zhaosun, and said with a smile:

"General Liu, congratulations! I heard that the Emperor was so pleased when he learned of your great victory that his years of gout were cured... Kaiyuan is a treacherous and dangerous place, and the battle is fierce and dangerous. Take care, General. Our mission here is over, and we'll see you later!"

When setting out from Shenyang, Lieutenant General Ding Bi strongly advised Wei Zhongxian not to go to Kaiyuan, saying that Kaiyuan was in danger, the Jiannu were approaching, and the southern soldiers and the Liao soldiers were still fighting.

Wei Zhongxian was not afraid. Before entering the palace, he was a vagrant in Jizhou and had worked as a warrior. He had seen a lot of fighting and killing.

More than ten years ago, coming to Liaodong to do business was a lucrative job. Gao Huai was the tax supervisor in Shenyang at that time and made a lot of money.

Now, the Jiannu have risen, the Liaozhen are no longer obedient, and the eunuchs' good days are over.

The situation in Liaodong is dangerous, and Eunuch Wei is well aware of it.

In order to get ahead, he had no choice but to gamble his life. After all, this was not his first time to gamble.

Back then, Wei Zhongxian was not called Wei Zhongxian, but Li Jinzhong.

Because he was being chased by his creditors for gambling debts, Lao Li gritted his teeth, castrated himself with a knife, and became a eunuch from then on.

Although there were many people who voluntarily castrated themselves and entered the palace during the Ming Dynasty, it was rare for someone like Li Jinzhong to be determined to enter the palace at such an old age.

He finally climbed to the Imperial Household Department.

He takes on tasks assigned by his superiors that others dare not take, and he does tasks that others are unwilling to do.

If you bet your life, if you lose, you will just die; if you win, you will have power over the world and be second to none.

Liaodong was Wei Zhongxian's new gamble.

"Lieutenant General Liu, I think we have a good impression of you. If you come to the capital in the future, we must get together!"

Liu Zhaosun was unwilling to let Wei Zhongxian leave like this, and said quickly:

"Eunuch, you have worked hard for the Emperor. Although I am just a warrior, I have a heart of loyalty and patriotism. Eunuch, please stay in Liaodong for a while and go back to serve the Emperor well. I will have someone accompany you to Liaoyang to take a look..."

Liaodong is dangerous. Although Wei Zhongxian admires Liu Zhaosun, there is no need for him to stay here and die a martyr.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant General Liu. Xiong Tingbi is already on his way to Liaodong. General, you should do your utmost to kill the enemy. It's getting late, so we will return to the capital to report to the Emperor!"

Liu Zhaosun no longer tried to persuade Wei Zhongxian to stay and personally escorted him out of the city.

Swords and knives have no eyes. If anything goes wrong, he will have no chance of survival in Liaodong. He has just placed a military supervisor under house arrest, and now another eunuch has died.

More importantly, this Nine Thousand Year Old Man, who was scolded by the Qingliu as an unforgivable evil and super perverted, did not seem to be that scary.

After some contact, I felt that this person was no different from ordinary people, and was even quite friendly.

Could it be because Wei Zhongxian is not yet the Nine Thousand Year Old?

Or maybe it's because I'm so handsome, and this perverted eunuch has some improper thoughts about me?
Half an hour later, we arrived at the south gate of Kaiyuan.

Everyone rode out of Kaiyuan City on horseback.

Along the way, we saw tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians busy at work, and auxiliary troops and Liao people were shuttling back and forth between the city gates like ants.

They transported firewood and food into the city, carried the prepared chevaux de frise outside the city, dug traps on the road, and laid caltrops.

Wei Zhongxian was worried and couldn't help asking Liu Zhaosun:

"Lieutenant General Liu, how confident are you in holding Kaiyuan City?"

Liu Zhaosun was yelling at an auxiliary soldier, telling him to bury the mines deeper. Suddenly, he heard Wei Zhongxian's question and quickly smiled, bowed, and said respectfully:
"My Lord, there are currently 8,000 Liao soldiers, 6,000 Southern soldiers, 1,000 Sichuan soldiers, and 15,000 combat-ready soldiers in Kaiyuan City. There are also 10,000 Liaodong volunteers who can serve as auxiliary troops. As for our chances of victory, I believe we have a 50% chance. If reinforcements arrive in time and we have sufficient food and money, we have an 80% chance..."

Wei Zhongxian rode his horse across the drawbridge. The auxiliary soldiers on both sides were busy digging trenches, and a group of Liao soldiers were setting up French cannons on the top of the city wall.

"And newly trained Southern troops? Lieutenant General Liu, how can you recruit Southern troops while you're in Liaodong? And you're just a captain with only a few hundred soldiers, so how can you recruit so many?"

Liu Zhaosun had anticipated that the court would investigate these matters, and he quickly explained:
"My Lord, those are the righteous people of Liaozhong. Their families were killed by the Tartars. They have nowhere to go. If I don't take them in, they will die. I have no choice, so I use the method of training soldiers by Qi Shaobao to organize them into an army, thinking of avenging them one day. As for those righteous people, they also have a blood feud with the Jiannu, and they are all willing to kill the enemy. I wanted to report this to my superiors and allocate some food and wages, but the General is seriously ill and the Tartars are approaching. In this desperate situation, I can only..."

Wei Zhongxian laughed heartily and interrupted with a wave of his hand:
"General Liu, you don't need to explain. We all understand. The emperor said that you should kill the enemy well."

"Since the Liao people are eager to serve their country, their hearts can be used. We must not discourage their righteous hearts. I will report the situation to the Ministry of War truthfully when I return. I believe His Majesty and the ministers will not blame you. As for food and wages, we still have to listen to what the ministers in the court have to say. We have no say in matters involving millions of taels of silver."

Liu Zhaosun heard this and knew there was something else behind it, so he remained silent. The group carefully crossed the dense trenches and walked for a while before finally leaving the heavily armed Kaiyuan City.

Liu Zhaosun waved to the servant, and Zhang Mazi rode up on horseback, took out a bag of gold from his arms and handed it to him.

Seeing that there was no one around, Liu Zhaosun took out two small bags from his horse's back and rode up to Wei Zhongxian.

"I, Liu, am a mere soldier. This time, I have been fortunate enough to achieve some military merit and have been favored by His Majesty. It's a pity that I cannot serve in the capital. Your Excellency has been working tirelessly to take care of His Majesty's daily life. These silver, Dongzhu, and Korean ginseng are my sincere gratitude to the Emperor. Please accept them and repay His Majesty's kindness on my behalf. Please continue to work hard."

Wei Zhongxian looked at the heavy gold, then at the Dongzhu and ginseng, his eyes wide open.

Gold was worth hundreds of taels, and pearls of inferior quality could be worth several hundred taels. As for the Korean ginseng, it was priceless. He pretended to refuse, then accepted the three bags, put them in a large bag he had prepared in advance, and placed it on the horse's back, weighing it down so much that the horse paced back and forth.

Liu Zhaosun waved his hand, and Pei Dahu brought another Hexi horse.

It was fat and strong, with shiny fur, and it kept snorting.

Wei Zhongxian opened his mouth wide and marveled at it. He had been in the capital for many years and had never seen such a good horse.

"The journey to the capital is arduous. I have military duties to attend to and cannot personally escort you back to the capital. This Hexi BMW is a gift to you. If you encounter any danger along the way, you will be safe!"

Wei Zhongxian looked up at the Hexi horse, then looked back at the silver and Korean ginseng. His mouth was wide open and he kept smiling at Liu Zhaosun.

There were several senior eunuchs above Eunuch Wei, and he was only the last in the Imperial Household Department, so he didn't have much power.

I didn't expect that Liu Zhaosun would treat me so well even though we had never met before.

"General, you are so generous! I am deeply moved. To be honest, I have been in the palace for many years and have experienced the fickleness of the world. I originally thought that you were just an ordinary warrior, but I didn't expect you to be such a loyal man!"

Before Eunuch Wei finished speaking, the servant Zhang Mazi shouted in front:

"My Lord, be careful! There are slave thieves!"

Two light arrows whizzed and landed at Liu Zhaosun's feet.

Liu Zhaosun drew his sword, stood in front of Wei Zhongxian, and shouted:

"Come and protect my father-in-law!"

Just as he finished speaking, another light arrow flew towards him and shot straight at Wei Zhongxian's face. Liu Zhaosun raised his arm, and with a clang, the iron guard blocked the arrow.

Wei Zhongxian stared at Liu Zhaosun blankly, never expecting that this man would block the arrow for him.

At this time, Pei Dahu rode back and was shocked to see an arrow stuck in Liu Zhaosun's arm.

Liu Zhaosun broke the arrow shaft and said disapprovingly:

"They are protected by chain mail, so it won't be a problem. How many slaves are there?"

"My Lord, the two Bayalas, their horses are tied up far away, and they are scouting the camp on foot. Zhang Mazi has caught up with them!"

Bayala has arrived. It seems that the main force of the Later Jin Dynasty is not far away. He turned to Wei Zhongxian and said:

"Eunuch, please wait here. You will be safe with the servants protecting you. I will kill these two Jiannu! They dared to spy on the army's military situation. We must not let them return alive!"

Wei Zhongxian pushed Pei Dahu away, patted his chest, drew his sword, and shouted:

"I've been a fighter, specializing in close combat, and my hands are stained with blood! There are only three of you, you can't stop them. Today, I'll help General Liu kill the Tartars!"

Liu Zhaosun stared blankly at the skinny Nine Thousand Years Old, trying to imagine him charging into battle and the white-armored soldiers fighting with their swords. It felt like a dream. Was this really the Wei Zhongxian he remembered?
In this case, of course I can't offend my father-in-law.

He gritted his teeth and led Wei Zhongxian forward.

The two young eunuchs stayed where they were to look after the horses and luggage, while Liu Zhaosun, Wei Zhongxian and Pei Dahu rode their horses north in pursuit.

Soon, the figures of Zhang Mazi and the two Bayala appeared in front of the three people.

The two Bayalas were originally scouts of the Bordered Blue Banner. They were conducting scouting around Kaiyuan yesterday and were preparing to go back today to report military intelligence when they suddenly discovered a group of people coming out of the city, including a high-ranking official. They thought that if they could kill this Ming official by the way, they would definitely be rewarded handsomely by their master when they returned, and they would also be praised for their meritorious scouting.

I didn't expect that this group of people were tough and difficult to deal with.

Hearing the rumbling sound of hooves behind him, Bayala knew he could not escape, so he decided to fight.

He suddenly turned around, raised his crossbow and shot at the Ming cavalry chasing in front.

Zhang Mazi originally wanted to capture Bayala alive, so he did not use any brutal force. When he saw the crossbow arrow coming, he dodged hurriedly. The warhorse under his crotch was startled, raised its front hooves high, and threw the rider off.

Bayala stepped forward quickly, swung his heavy knife, and used all his strength to chop down at Zhang Mazi who had not yet gotten up.

Zhang Mazi raised his knife to block, and with a clang, several gaps were made along the knife. Zhang Mazi felt his palms were numb from the shock and he couldn't lift his arms.

He struggled to turn over and stand up, but the heavy sword came towards him again. He quickly stepped back and took out a folding crossbow to shoot it. Bayala raised his heavy sword to block the arrow and rushed towards him roaring.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound of hooves, and Zhang Mazi felt that the heavy sword above his head was blocked by some weapon. The weapons on both sides clashed, making a harsh metallic rattling sound.

Bayala took two steps back and stared angrily at the charging cavalry.

A sharp and cold voice sounded in front of him:

"You thief, you can actually block our sharp sword! Where are you going to escape?"

Bayala looked at the half-human, half-demon old man in front of him in horror. He had used all his strength in that attack just now, but it was easily blocked by this demon.

Could this be the legendary master of the East Factory in the Ming Dynasty?

It seems that the Southern Dynasty is not without people.

Before Bayala could sigh any more, a Ming army general came from behind, waving a long sword, and the warhorse under his crotch was galloping like lightning, so fast that he could not see clearly.

He subconsciously raised the knife to block his neck.

Liu Zhaosun raised his sword and slashed it down. A cold light flashed, and Bayala's heavy sword was like being hit by an iron hammer, shattering into two pieces. The long sword still had its power and slashed towards the opponent's neck.

Bayala's head flew high up, and when it flew more than ten steps away, the headless corpse rushed forward two steps and finally fell on it.

“Such hard work!”

Wei Zhongxian dismounted and praised sincerely.

Liu Zhaosun bowed and smiled slightly, saying, "Your Excellency is too kind. Your sword is still sharp as a knife. Your skills are unmatched even in the Eastern Depot's Pacification Division!"

As he was speaking, Pei Dahu came to the crowd on horseback, carrying the head of a Bayala.

Wei Zhongxian looked at the two bloody heads of the Jiannu people, and then at the blood splattered on Liu Zhaosun's body. He was very excited and grabbed his hands.

"Lieutenant General Liu and I hit it off right away, like we've known each other for life. I thought you were just a bunch of idiots, the same kind as Li Rubai and the others, but I didn't expect the heads you captured were all real!"

"Fearless of danger and hardship, he defended Kaiyuan alone. Unfazed by rumors, he stood firm in Liaodong. He was loyal to his country and his sense of justice was boundless. He must be a figure like Guan Yu and Yue Fei! Today, when we first met, he gave us gold and a BMW. Just now, he even shielded us with his own body! This shows benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. The Imperial Household Department and the East Factory respected Yue Fei the most. Although I am not a real man, I admire heroes the most in my life! If Brother Liu doesn't mind, we will become sworn brothers here! We will become sworn brothers!"

Liu Zhaosun was stunned on the spot. He didn't expect Wei Zhongxian to be so eloquent. He was indeed an educated man. No wonder he could become the eunuch in charge of the seal in the future.

We have known each other for less than a day, but he wants to become sworn brothers. It turns out that Jiu Qiansui is also a person of this kind.

Shouldn't this dead eunuch be a cold-blooded political animal?
Shouldn't this dead eunuch be a super pervert who kills for pleasure and harms the good people?

It seems that I was too narrow-minded before I traveled through time. I was blinded by a few pages of history books and thought the problem was simple.

Put aside the identity of the Ninth Thousand Year Old Man, and put aside the so-called political speculation and flattery.

From what I saw today, this brave and daring man, no, this transvestite, who comes from a fighting background, can indeed be my friend.

Of course, you know, not that kind of friend.

But becoming sworn brothers is a bit too much.

Liu Zhaosun was silent for a long time, and finally with tears in his eyes, he held Wei Zhongxian's hands tightly.

"Me too!"

"Big brother!"

"Good brother!"

Wait, this seems a bit inappropriate. After all, I am not Zhang Fei, so I should be more cultured. So I added:
"I heard that Eunuch Wei was born in Jizhou, which is the land of Yan and Zhao. Yan and Zhao are known for being filled with sentimental and tragic figures, and you must be one of them. Although I have just met you, I sense your righteousness and your natural heroism. You are a natural hero who respects civil and military officials, unlike ordinary eunuchs. If I could become sworn brothers with you, it would be my great honor!"

In this era, people generally believed in ghosts and gods, and believed in various causes and effects. People believed that covenants not only had legal effects, but would also be supervised by gods after they came into effect.

Therefore, most people will not swear casually unless there is something important.

If you break your oath, the consequences will be dire.

Witnessed by servants and eunuchs, the two men knelt on the ground.

Bayala's blood was poured into a coconut ladle. The two men each took a sip, then laughed out loud towards the sky, joking about their thirst for the Huns' blood.

After drinking the blood, the two men faced south, broke their arrows and swore a solemn oath:
"We, Liu Zhaosun and Wei Zhongxian, are sworn brothers. We trust each other with life and death, help each other in good times and bad, and stand together in times of trouble! Anyone who messes with us will be killed! Anyone who messes with me will be killed! We will never reconcile with the Jiannu in this life. Anyone who breaks this oath will be punished by heaven and earth!"

(End of this chapter)