The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 784 Light Cavalry on the Roof

Facts are not the truth, and the truth can often only be reached through fiction.

—Werner Herzog

~~~~~~
One day in midsummer of the fourth year of Chongzhen.

Shenyang, the residence of the governor.

Fan Wencheng, who was standing in front of him, looked like an eggplant hit by frost. He was trembling all over, with his head drooping. The rat-tail braid on the back of his head was neatly coiled under his melon-shaped hat, like a hibernating snake.

"What's wrong with you?" Qi Meng shrugged, full of concern.

"General Qi, I feel a little cold."

The sun was scorching in the courtyard of the General's Mansion. It was midsummer in July, and the cicadas on the sycamore trees were still chirping about the summer.

Qi Meng looked back at Jin Yuji who was standing next to him. She had her hair tied up in a bun, a half-sleeved skirt, a waistcoat inside, and a thin scale armor outside. Her jet-black hair seemed to be overflowing with water.

"are you cold?"

The Imperial Concubine, also dressed coolly, glared at Qi Meng and, without waiting for Jin Yuji to reply, interrupted, "I'm getting hot and irritated."

Qi Meng ignored Yang Qing'er and turned to Fan Wencheng, who was wrapped in a mandarin jacket, and asked, "Then why does Master Fan feel cold?"

Fan Wencheng hesitated to speak.

Three days ago, the Minister of Rites of the Qing Dynasty came to Shenyang on the orders of Emperor Huang Taiji to discuss ceasefire and peace with Yang Hao, the governor of Liaodong.

On the eve of his departure from Hetuala, Fan Wencheng dreamed that a "god" gave him an elixir and told him that if he took it, he would be able to live forever.

After Fan Wencheng took the elixir given to him by the immortal, he felt refreshed. He knew that this was a symptom before ascension.

However, starting today, he began to feel cold, dizzy, weak in his hands and feet, short of breath, blurred vision and hearing, and alternating hot and cold.

He thought it was just common typhoid fever, so he didn't take it seriously.

"Moreover, Lord Fan was sent by Huang Taiji to negotiate peace. When two countries are at war, they do not kill envoys. I am different from them."

Qi Meng pointed in the direction of the capital: "As long as the conditions of the Qing Dynasty are sincere enough, we can negotiate."

Yang Hao gave full authority to Qi Youji to negotiate peace, but forgot to mention that Qi Meng had now been promoted to the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, commanding tens of thousands of troops.

Although he had just defeated the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty and made Huang Taiji question his life, the time traveler now did not want to stay in Liaodong for a moment.

Screw the Ming Dynasty. Whoever wants to save him can do so. He just wants to lie down.

Fan Wencheng forced himself to cheer up, a greasy, flattering smile on his face: "I wonder what Yang Jinglie wants..."

Qi Meng looked around, held up three fingers, and said in a low voice, "Give me three million taels of silver, and I will withdraw from Liaodong and never return."

Fan Wencheng opened his mouth wide and didn't close it for a long time.

"The general's unauthorized establishment of a garrison is tantamount to rebellion. This doesn't sound credible."

Qi Meng said casually, "Your Excellency does not need to worry about these."

Kang Yingqian took over the conversation, squinted his eyes and smiled:

"As long as we manage things properly, even if it's treason, what's the big deal? This is a characteristic of the Celestial Empire. Lord Fan, you're a successful Jinshi after all, how could you not know this?"

Fan Wencheng was hesitant. Not to mention three million taels of silver, even one million taels would be impossible for Huang Taiji to agree to.

Seeing Fan Wencheng's hesitation, Qi Meng smiled and said, "What do you think? Don't you want to give it to me? When the old Khan was here, you looted more gold and silver from all over Liaodong than this amount."

Fan Wencheng nodded in agreement: "This matter is of great importance. Please allow me to return to Hetuala to report to the emperor and then discuss the matter."

"Of course you can, but please tell the Emperor of Qing that I promised the Emperor Tianqi to 'recover Liao within five years'. The deadline is approaching. If you want to negotiate, you must show sincerity. Otherwise, if the Emperor of Ming urges war, I will be powerless."

Fan Wencheng nodded repeatedly, saluted Kang Yingqian and others, and left the governor's mansion while coughing violently.

~~~~
Hetuala, Khan's Palace.

The crowd was bustling with activity, and officials were talking among themselves, their words filled with jealousy and shock.

Fan Wencheng actually returned alive from Liaodong!

Not only did Yang Hao not kill him, he also agreed to negotiate peace. As long as the Qing Dynasty was willing to pay a sum of compensation, Qi Meng could lead his subordinates to withdraw from Liaodong.

As a hero in the peace talks, Fan Wencheng returned to Hetuala and was rewarded greatly by Huang Taiji and was given the title of Manchu Baturu.

Baturu means warrior in Manchu. How can a Nikan be called Baturu just by talking?!

In the Khan's Palace, Fan Wencheng was moved to tears and kept shouting "Long live the Qing Dynasty."

"I am terrified! How could I have deserved such an honor? It is my honor to serve my master! I hope the Emperor will revoke his order!"

Fan Wenchen, who was kneeling in front of the obese Huang Taiji, said with a kind face:

"Lord Fan has made such great contributions, and the reward is well deserved! I hope you take care of yourself."

Fan Wencheng knelt on the cold hall floor, shivering all over. He had recently caught a cold, but he couldn't be disrespectful in front of his master, so he had to kneel down on the ground.
"I thank the Lord for His great grace. Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"

Huang Taiji signaled Fan Wencheng to stand up and asked about his physical condition again.

Fan Wencheng's nose was running: "Thank you for your concern, Master. I'm fine!"

Dorgon Hauge and others all had angry looks on their faces.

They don't care whether Fan Wencheng is dead or alive.

Yang Hao and his men asked for three million taels of silver right away, which was simply too much. With such conditions, Fan Wencheng still dared to bring it back.

Haoge shouted, "Fan Wencheng, I heard you dreamt of a god giving you medicine. Is that true?"

Fan Wencheng said cautiously, "Replying to the Grand Prince, these are just rumors spread by the subordinates. It's not true."

The young Duoduo laughed and said, "Nikan believed in ghosts and gods. The dog emperor of the Ming Dynasty was almost strangled to death by a palace maid because he was seeking immortality. Fan Wencheng, you must not bring Nikan's vulgar customs back to the Qing Dynasty!"

Fan Wencheng's face flushed and he stopped making excuses.

Dorgon looked at Fan Wencheng thoughtfully, but remained silent. Huang Taiji waved his hand and said, "Go back early and rest well. I see that you look very bad."

Fan Wencheng was about to leave when he heard Huang Taiji continue, "I will not give you three million taels, not even a single tael. Wait until you recover, then go to Shenyang and tell Qi Meng that it has always been the Qing that has plundered the city in recent years, and I have never heard of it being robbed by the Han people. If he wants it, come and attack the city. I and the Eight Banners warriors will accompany him to the end!"

~~~~~
After retreating from the Khan's Palace, Fan Wencheng felt sore all over, as if he was drunk, and got into the carriage with the help of the butler.

The carriage left the palace and slowly headed towards the Fan Mansion.

It was already dusk when I got back home. I don’t know if it was because of the bumpy road or the effect of drinking two cups of hot tea.

Fan Wencheng was in a good mood. His wife prepared dishes to welcome the master. After dinner, several Han officials came to visit.

Everyone praised Fan Wencheng for his extraordinary achievements and his bright future. Fan Wencheng was drunk and dizzy. He said a few perfunctory words and hurriedly sent the guests away. His body became increasingly stiff and he almost tripped over the threshold.

"Ask Bai Lan and Qiu Zhu to come over earlier. We won't be seeing any guests tonight."

"Master, are you going to bed so early?"

The fading wife, Mrs. Pan, looked at Mr. Fan with an unhappy expression.

Fan Wencheng had a splitting headache and was in a bad mood.

"If you are told to go, then go!"

After drinking a cup of hot tea, I heard footsteps outside. Bai Lan and Qiu Zhu had arrived.

Giving these names to the two concubines demonstrates the master's noble character and extraordinary pursuits.

The two concubines were about fifteen or sixteen years old, with bright eyes and white teeth. The wheat-colored skin made them look even more youthful and beautiful, and they were graceful and elegant.

Fan Wencheng rarely showed a satisfied smile. He had not been close to women for a long time. Today, he received the reward from the emperor, and he couldn't help but feel distracted. He was like an old man with the passion of youth.

Bai Lan picked up the cup of tea, and the fragrance of tea was refreshing.

"What kind of medicine is this?!"

"Life and Death Grass is a magical medicine from my hometown. Master, after a long journey, takes a bowl and feels refreshed..."

"Grass of Life and Death? I have been in Liaodong for many years and have never heard of this grass." Fan Wencheng had a lewd smile on his face.

"It's only available in Hwanghae Province, Korea." Bai Lan picked up the teacup and leaned on the master's thigh. Her eyes were like water, and she looked at Fan Wencheng lovingly as he swallowed the bowl of black medicine.

~~~~~
Half an hour later, Fan Wenchen got up from the bed, feeling sore in his waist and knees. After all, he was old. He got up and took two more Bawei Dihuang Pills. Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window, he sighed.

"I'm old, I'm old, I have to accept my age."

As soon as he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and felt a splitting headache and pain in the tip of his nose.

She struggled to stand up and wanted to call the maids in, but her throat was too weak to utter a word.

He struggled to crawl to the living room, propped himself up, took the bronze mirror from the table, and held it up to the candlelight.

The person in the mirror was completely disfigured, his cheeks were covered in blood, his nose was collapsed and bleeding.

His teeth chattered as he struggled to stand up. Blood flowed from his nostrils, staining the ground red.

The bone marrow seemed to be squeezed out alive.

The severe pain made him unable to bear it any longer, and a "chuckle" came from his throat.

"Who poisoned me?"

Fan Wencheng was terrified. He didn't know who wanted to kill him?!
He swayed, losing his balance. When he tried to go out and call for help, he slammed down on the table, shattering the teapot and cups. He could no longer feel the pain, his body stiffening as countless thoughts raced through his mind.

Bai Lan? Qi Meng? Huang Taiji?!

Bai Lan was a slave he abducted from Korea. She came to the Fan family when she was five years old. This woman would never betray her master!

"No, we can't let Nikan's plot succeed! No! We must hurry... and see the master immediately! Let the master be on guard!"

Fan Wencheng struggled with his last bit of strength and finally stood up, crawling towards the door step by step.

His limbs were stiff and cold. After crawling two steps, his legs seemed to be tied up and he could no longer move. He vomited blood and blood foam flowed all over his body.

In a trance, he seemed to see countless wronged souls from Liaodong swaying above his head. Fan Wencheng wanted to shout for help but could not say anything. He could only make a low chuckle in his throat.

Half an hour later, the loyal bondservant died in extreme agony, his eyes wide open, blood streaming, and he gazed out the window like a demon from hell.

The moon was dark and the wind was strong, and there was dead silence.

A crow landed under the high eaves, its dark eyes staring at the yard. A cat's cry sounded, and the crow was startled and flew west.

The black cat missed its target, and with a fierce look in its bony eyes, it wandered around the beams.

The bedroom was littered with cups and plates, and a corpse was lying on the floor, its limbs facing the sky, twisted into an incredible shape.

The black cat was frightened and took a few steps back. Seeing that the corpse was motionless, it slowly moved forward. Outside, a strong wind was blowing, hitting the door. The candle wick was about to burn out, and no one came forward to trim it. The lamp crackled, and after it burned out, the room fell into darkness.

The moment the oil lamp went out, the black cat jumped down from the beam and fell silently.

It looked around, made sure there was no danger, and then cautiously approached the corpse. When it reached Fan Wencheng, it jumped onto the corpse and started biting the servant's nose.

There was an unsettling snapping sound in the darkness.

Half of Fan Wencheng's nose was quickly eaten away. Just as the black cat was feasting on the food, the corpse with only half of its nose left suddenly opened its eyes, blinked its dim pupils vigorously, and let out a low growl from its throat.

The cat was startled and jumped up with its back arched, but before it could escape, its neck was tightly clamped by a pair of large blood-stained hands.

The next second, the crisp sound of bones breaking was heard in the darkness.

Fan Wencheng, who had been dead for a long time, stood up staggeringly. His pupils were white and his body was covered in blood. The only remaining pants had just been torn into strips by the black cat. At this moment, he was almost as thin as Robben.

However, Fan Wencheng no longer cared about these. He sniffed the air with half of his nose, as if he smelled something. His grayish-white pupils suddenly grew larger, and then his body twisted into an angle that humans could not reach.

boom!
The Minister of Rites broke out of the window, kicked off with his legs, and jumped directly onto the roof which was more than ten feet high, and ran around on the roof as if it were flat ground.

In the next room, there was a loud snoring sound.

(End of this chapter)