Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 22: Monster, Very Monster
Ajige did not respond to Yang Feng's request.

Of course, there was no response.

Although Yang Feng skinned and stuffed his envoy with straw and hung him at Jubao Gate for exhibition, he did not send Huang Shu with the intention of letting the latter return alive. Huang Shu was just a disposable material, and it was none of his business if Yang Feng skinned and stuffed him with straw.

Could he still be so angry that he could fight for the crown?

In short, the Qing army continued to confront the Ming army across the river in Dangtu.

Meanwhile, Lower Bolo remained in Zhenjiang, while Tunqi led Li Benshen's troops northward, taking over control of Liu Zeqing's forces. The latter was stripped of his military power under the guise of a reward in Beijing. After all, even the Qing knew what kind of person he was. Furthermore, a division of forces was dispatched, with the general He Tuo taking Danyang to guard against the Ming army in the direction of Suzhou, Songjiang, and Changzhou...

There are many Ming troops there.

Zheng Hongkui, Huang Fei, Huang Binqing and a bunch of other defeated soldiers.

There were even local armed forces that emerged rapidly.

For example, Ge Lin, the local armed forces who withdrew from Zhenjiang, Wu Zhikui of the Songjiang Navy, Chen Zilong and Xia Yunyi, the local armed forces who raised an uprising in Songjiang, and even Qiu Zude, the former governor of Shandong and a native of Sichuan who lived in Xuancheng because he could not go back, raised an uprising with a group of local gentry including Shen Yourong's son Shen Shourao. Later, the great scholar Jin Sheng of Huizhou also started an uprising in Huizhou, and Yang Tingshu, the former head of the Ministry of War who was a native of Suzhou, also raised an uprising in Suzhou.

Not to mention that after the Lu Wang regent regime was established in Hangzhou, the Ming troops were mobilized to go north to support the king.

For example, Zhejiang General Wang Zhiren, Taizhou Deputy General Zhang Mingzhen...

A vibrant scene with everything flourishing.

After all, these gentry all knew that if they didn't find a way to protect themselves, they would be at the mercy of others.

They have money.

But if you want to keep your wealth, you need force!

What happened in Yangzhou has proved that we cannot have too many illusions about the Qing army. It’s not that the Yangzhou gentry don’t want to pay, but even 300,000 can’t solve the problem!
If 300,000 Yangzhou gentry could not bribe the Qing army, then the Suzhou gentry would probably need 3 million.

three million……

Three million is not as good as raising a group!

Originally in history they did not have time, but now the Qing army was being dragged into Nanjing. Not to mention taking Nanjing, they had already suffered heavy losses. No matter how they felt about the Ming Emperor Taizu Gao, now that he was dragging the Qing army, it was their chance.

In short, everyone in Nanjing was making guns and cannons, the Qing army built the North and South camps outside Nanjing, and the gentry from all over the country outside the Qing army seized this opportunity and tried their best to arm themselves. Jiangnan actually fell into a brief period of peace.

As for meeting Emperor Taizu?
Who will come to see Emperor Taizu?

Regarding his imperial edicts, local officials and gentry didn't openly call him a monster, considering he truly looked like one. After all, if they did, there would be no way back. What if he went berserk and killed them? But if they didn't, they could just ignore him! As for Zhang Jie, he did arrive in Hangzhou, but news of Yang Feng's execution had also arrived. Although Ma Shiying remained vague, saying he'd wait for confirmation, rumors were already circulating among the people that he was a monster. They even described him in detail, saying he was the reincarnation of the souls of eunuchs who had died over the years on Yuhua Terrace. That place was the main cemetery for eunuchs in Nanjing. For nearly three hundred years, countless eunuchs, both great and small, had been buried there, including junior eunuchs who had no graves and were thrown into mass graves there after their deaths.

Three hundred years.

They don't even have anyone to visit the graves.

These lonely ghosts were filled with resentment. When the imperial star was shaky and the dragon energy was dim, they finally condensed into a physical entity and turned into a monster. They claimed to be the Emperor Taizu Gao who had come to the mortal world to confuse the people, and took advantage of the Jiannu's southward advance to wreak havoc on the world.

Eunuch!
It is inevitable that everyone's psychology is a little distorted.

Countless eunuchs had resentments like this. They served the emperor, so naturally they imagined themselves to be the emperor. They were all eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty, so naturally they imagined themselves to be the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. To put it bluntly, this was the embodiment of the twisted desires of a class that had been slaves for three hundred years.

Although he did protect Nanjing, which is understandable, as he imagined himself as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty and of course had to defend the Ming Dynasty, this does not change his nature as a monster.

Ultimately, it was Yang Feng's perverse actions in Nanjing that angered them. The Jiangnan gentry were indeed eager for a savior, but not someone like him. Look at his imperial edicts, look at the tactics he deployed in Nanjing—isn't he a monster? Even the Jiannu were more handsome than him. What was wrong with the Jiannu? They knew how to appoint talented people, selecting the wise and capable. A bunch of civil officials from the north who welcomed the imperial army were given important positions. The burning, killing, and looting were certainly a bit bad, especially the tendency to massacre cities, but considering they were barbarians, that wasn't a big deal. And then there was the shaving of the head and changing of clothing.

This is indeed a bit excessive.

but……

Ajige has issued an order that soldiers can shave their heads but civilians can't.

That seems to be nothing.

"Do they really say that I am a demon, a ghost transformed from a lonely spirit on Yuhua Terrace?"

Yang Feng looked at the young eunuch in front of him.

This was done before he went to Hangzhou to convey the imperial edict. Because everything was in chaos at that time and the Qing army surrounded Nanjing, it took some time to come back.

Of course, the Qing army wasn't actually encircling the city; they didn't have the capability to do so. They were currently occupying Wuhu, Gaochun, Lishui, Jurong, Zhenjiang, and other areas, patrolling with cavalry and blocking the flow of supplies. This was practically useless, as they couldn't keep the city under control. Merchants simply paid the Qing army, especially those who had surrendered, a small amount of money. Furthermore, the city was already well-stocked with supplies.

So Yang Feng was not in a hurry.

He is now waiting for Han Xin to train the army. Although the previous tactics were effective, the mortality rate was also very high.

If he is injured, he can be saved, but if he is killed in battle, he will be truly dead.

So it is still necessary to use well-trained ones as much as possible.

"Replying to Your Majesty, according to my undercover investigation, this rumor first spread from Suzhou. It was probably fabricated by Qian Qianyi, a student of the Emperor who was executed by Your Majesty. Qian was the leader of the Donglin Clan, and he had many students and former officials. After Your Majesty executed him, many people felt unfair for him. Moreover, he was executed by Your Majesty because he was the first to surrender to the Jianlu. These Donglin Clan members usually claim to be loyal ministers, but he was executed by Your Majesty for surrendering to the Jianlu. This is not a good thing, so they fabricated the rumor and said that he was executed as a murder.

Most of the rebels who were killed by Emperor Taizu were from Jiangsu, Songjiang and Zhejiang.

Their disciples also followed suit and spread rumors.

It is better to say that he was killed by evil spirits than to say that he surrendered to the Jianlu and was killed by Emperor Taizu.

They have to have some dignity after all."

The little eunuch said.

"Monster, and also made of resentment, these bastards really dare to think so."

Yang Feng sneered.

"Well, I was even said to be a zombie spirit back then."

The so-called God began to recall again.

"Get some liquid chlorine tanks. Didn't they say I was a demon? If I'm a demon, of course I have to have demonic aura."

Yang Feng said.

"I can actually give you something better."

The so-called God said.

"No, I just like this. If you make something colorless and odorless, how will it make me look like I'm evil?"

Yang Feng said.

Then he stood up and walked past the trembling little eunuch.

"I will personally lead the expedition to Lishui."

he shouted.

The next afternoon.

The Ming Emperor Gaozu was already standing outside Lishui riding his rhinoceros.

Behind him was a row of ten carriages, each loaded with a green jar with a valve attached to it, and a hose connected to the valve. Because they didn't know what it was, the young eunuchs also inserted various ceremonial flags on the carriages. The patterns on these flags and the various numbers and bold letters on the jars combined to create a beauty that blended classic and modern elements.

Behind these carriages were the chariots of the eunuch gunners.

The one hundred eunuch gunners were still the core of the Ming army's long-range firepower on the battlefield. The best gunners could now use an AK47 to hit a human-shaped target meters away.

Comparable to a sniper.

However, these eunuchs always regarded their guns as sacred artifacts. It is said that they would offer them on the incense table before going to bed every night, kowtow before going to sleep, and kowtow and burn incense when waking up. After that, they never left their guns. In addition, according to their own aesthetic tastes, they also painted various patterns on them, and one even directly covered them with gold foil...

The painting style is unique.

Quite a silly wooden aesthetic.

On the rhino's back, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty gazed at the Lishui city wall ahead. Despite the dense Qing army lining the walls, no one dared to attack him, likely knowing that attacking would be pointless. He extended his right hand, and a Fang Tian Hua Ji appeared out of thin air. He hurled it forward, instantly sending both himself and the halberd soaring into the air. In a flash, they hovered above the city wall, pointing the Fang Tian Hua Ji at the Qing troops watching him with trepidation.

"die!"

He pointed to an officer.

Gunshots were heard from behind and the officer fell down.

The other Qing soldiers were so frightened that they immediately huddled under the parapet. In the city behind them, the common people and gentry looked at the sky in astonishment, and many of them were already kneeling and kowtowing.

"Go out and form a battle array, or I will do it myself."

Yang Feng said proudly.

The Qing army generals looked up at him somewhat bewilderedly.

The Zhenglan Banner was stationed here, and its commander was Li Yongfang's son Li Shutai.

"Your Majesty, are you serious?"

He said cautiously.

The best thing for him now is of course to defend and wait for Ajige's rescue, but the problem is that the city wall is meaningless in the face of this devil-like man.

People can fly!

The city wall can stop nothing!
The Qing army couldn't actually find a way to kill him. Their only option was to blast him to dust with their red-haired cannons, but they'd fired tens of thousands of shells at him in Dangtu, and not a single one had hit him. So, he clearly had someone in command. Whether he was a demon or not was hard to say, but he definitely had someone in command, otherwise how could tens of thousands of shells have failed to land a single hit? Therefore, Li Shutai, who was quite intelligent, understood that holding on was pointless.

It would have been wiser to run away, but knowing Ajige's temper, he didn't dare to run.

"If I wanted you to die, it would be a piece of cake. Why would I deceive you? I just want to use you to test whether my newly trained soldiers are useful to you."

Yang Feng sneered.

Li Soltae looked at him in humiliation.

So he didn't kill himself because he wanted to use himself to train his troops?

"In this case, Your Majesty, please witness the bravery of our Eight Banners warriors."

He said proudly.

Then he looked at his subordinates around him.

"Let's go out and fight, and let everyone know that our Eight Banners warriors are still invincible!"

he shouted.

Then he walked towards the bridle path.

The Qing troops on the city wall looked at the figure above Gao Ju's head with complicated eyes. They silently adjusted their armor, took their weapons, and followed their general to the city to prove themselves through battle, to prove that they were still the strongest army. Their failure was not because they could not fight, but because the opponent was cheating.

If you have the guts, why not fight with real swords and guns? What’s the big deal about creating a non-human monster?
Soon, Li Ruotai led at least 2,000 elite Eight Banners soldiers to open the city gates and then formed a battle array with their backs to the city. As for the surrendered Ming troops inside the city...

At this time, they had already robbed the people in the city of their clothes and changed their clothes in preparation for escaping.

"Your Majesty, I invite your army to fight!"

Li Soltae looked up at Yang Feng in the sky.

"Attack!"

Yang Feng said.

Li Soltae looked across.

The opposing force actually had about the same 2,000 cavalry, but ahead of them were chariots, and ahead of them were ceremonial vehicles with flags, and inside the chariots were internal drills said to use divine weapons, which he knew. Regardless, as long as his cavalry charged fast enough, after suffering some casualties, they would eventually be able to break through these internal drills, and then they could easily overwhelm the Ming cavalry.

He has this confidence.

As long as he could successfully defeat the Ming army, he could escape with his subordinates.

This is victory.

It was enough for Ajige to forgive him for abandoning the city and fleeing.

"kill!"

He pointed the spear forward and then urged his horse on.

The Eight Banners warriors arrayed behind him also roared and urged their horses on. With their general at their center, the two thousand cavalry quickly formed a charging formation and charged directly into the opposing Ming army. However, the internally-operated chariots facing them split to the sides at top speed, leaving no one to intercept them. Li Shutai, without time to think, continued charging straight at the Ming cavalry. Soon, they reached the ceremonial vehicles, only then did they notice the green cans on the vehicles. Unaware of what they were, Li Shutai simply glanced at them and charged past...

"boom!"

Gunshots suddenly rang out.

Before he could react, the green canister on the car next to him exploded.

Not very powerful.

But he and the surrounding Qing troops were instantly engulfed in thick yellow-green fog.

He took a deep breath in astonishment.

The fierce burning sensation instantly overwhelmed his internal organs. He instinctively let out a heart-wrenching scream, and then began to cough like crazy. The warhorse under him also stood up and neighed like crazy, throwing him off the horse. However, the pain of falling off the horse was completely suppressed by the severe pain of burning. He didn't realize that he had fallen off the horse at all. He just lay on the ground, coughing as if he wanted to cough out his lungs.

The same was true for all the Qing troops around him who were engulfed in the thick fog.

The subsequent Qing troops also continued to rush towards the ceremonial vehicles.

Then gunshots rang out continuously.

The green cans on the ceremonial vehicles also exploded continuously with the sound of gunfire.

The same yellow-green fog continued to explode and submerge the passing Qing troops. Because of the wind direction, the fog was even facing the Qing troops behind, quickly submerging more Qing troops. All the Qing troops submerged by it were the same as their general.

Of course, it can’t be seen from the outside.

All that could be heard were their wailing, coughing, and the wailing of their war horses...

"I lied to you."

Yang Feng in the sky smiled like Captain Sparrow playing with gold coins.

(End of this chapter)