Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 26: The disaster of the Ming Dynasty, the birth of this evildoer

The officials and gentry on the city wall who had originally thought of getting away with it by welcoming Taizu were all dumbfounded...

"Emperor Taizu..."

A fellow villager howled.

"Don't try to argue with me. I made it very clear in Lishui that the people have never eaten my food, but instead have to pay taxes to support the court. They can choose not to resist to save their lives. As long as they don't become minions of the Qing monsters, I can forgive them. But civil and military officials eat the emperor's salary, and loyalty to the emperor is their duty. Not resisting is a crime, and surrendering to the Qing monsters is treason.

Even according to the Ming Dynasty law, three clans must be exterminated.

Those who have made great contributions enjoy the imperial food and tax exemptions, which is equivalent to eating the emperor's salary.

You eat my food, no matter how much or how little, but as long as you eat a bite of my food, you have to work for me.

The scholar can be said to have eaten the least, but he still ate after all. So, I ask you to leave when foreign enemies attack to show that you will not go along with the Qing demons, is that okay?
Isn't this too much?
I don't ask you to be loyal to the country, but I just ask you to stay away from corrupt practices, okay?

But have you done it? How many scholars have left to prove their innocence? Have you not joined the corrupt? Are you all just waiting to continue serving the Qing demons as scholars, juren, and jinshi?

When the Qing demon started the imperial examination, were you cheering and calling him a holy and wise ruler?

Those who were loyal to the country and those who left to prove their innocence gave up the wealth and glory that the Qing demons could have given them, but you took advantage of this opportunity to betray your old master and enjoy wealth and glory. Those who originally did not have enough knowledge and could not pass the imperial examination were able to pass the imperial examination because those who were loyal to the country died and those who refused to associate with the Qing demons left. Isn't this shameless?
If I let you go, how can I be worthy of them?

I may not kill you, but I ask the Lord of Heaven to decide your life or death. If you jump off the city wall, if you survive, it means that the Lord of Heaven has spared you. If you die, it means that you have deserved it.

If you don't dare to jump, it means you know you are guilty, and it is only natural for me to kill you.

To jump or not to jump?"

Yang Feng shouted.

The officials and gentry looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Jump!"

"Jump down now!"

……

The people roared.

Some young and strong men could not contain themselves and started pushing the gentry around them.

The theory of Emperor Taizu Gao was completely reasonable. One had to work for whoever supplied the emperor with food. The common people did not eat the emperor's food but had to pay taxes to support the court. However, officials and gentry all ate the emperor's food. Officials received salaries, clerks also received money and food, scholars also received food, and there were various tax exemptions. These were given to them by the emperor, making them superior to the common people, so they had an obligation to be loyal.

Moreover, as Emperor Taizu Gao said, when the Qing invaded, some resisted and died in battle, some committed suicide for their country, and some fled rather than serve the Qing. In Zhenjiang alone, there are resistance gentry led by Ge Lin who are still resisting to this day. Those who surrendered were rewarded with wealth and honor by the Qing and could take the imperial examinations. The resistance fighters, who were originally more talented than the Qing, would likely have missed out on this wealth and honor if they had surrendered. It was their loyalty and unyielding spirit that allowed them to enjoy the wealth and honor bestowed upon them by the Qing.

This goes unpunished?
Where is justice in this world?
An old eunuch finally kowtowed to the Emperor Gaozu in heaven with a tearful expression...

"I am now the minister of Taipu Temple, Wang Ji, and I obey the order."

Then he stood up, climbed up the parapet tremblingly, and looked at the officials and gentry on the city wall.

"My lords, since we have lost our loyalty to the Qing invaders, we cannot claim to be innocent. Since the Emperor Taizu has issued an order, we, as ministers, must obey it."

He said.

After saying this, he jumped down in despair.

Then he fell straight to the ground, his legs broke instantly, bones were exposed, and his body continued to fall to the ground, but there was no bamboo growing on the ground, and he did not die immediately, but just screamed on the ground.

"It seems that the Lord of Heaven believes that your crime does not deserve death. Your family can go and carry you back. Your crime has been forgiven."

Yang Feng said.

His descendants quickly ran out and carried it back to the city.

In history, this guy was an insider when Zheng Chenggong counterattacked Zhenjiang, but he was killed after the plan was leaked, and his wife also committed suicide.

Then the other officials and gentry were cheered up...

He didn't cheat?

He actually didn't let bamboo grow on the ground?
That seems worth a try!

"I am willing to obey the imperial decree of Emperor Taizu Gao."

Another fellow villager came out. He immediately climbed up the parapet and then jumped down with hope. But before he landed, bamboo shoots emerged from the ground...

"what……"

He screamed in terror in mid-air.

The next moment he hit the tip of the bamboo and was pierced through instantly.

"you you……"

With a heart full of grief and indignation, he raised his head and looked at Yang Feng weakly.

"It's obvious that Lord Haotian thinks you deserve it."

Yang Feng said innocently.

The old local official's limbs drooped limply. The officials and gentry on the city wall panicked again.

"Jump! Maybe the Lord of Heaven will spare you. If you jump, there's still a glimmer of hope. If you don't jump, there's no hope at all."

Yang Feng said with a smile.

Everyone understood the logic, but how could one be so calm in a life-or-death situation? If these guys really dared to jump, they wouldn't surrender. Furthermore, this bastard in front of them was clearly toying with their feelings, using Wang Ji to coax them. If they really jumped, there might be nothing but bamboo shoots popping up below. Although there was a glimmer of hope, it was only a glimmer. After all, life and death depended entirely on this bastard's mood, and he had spared no one in Lishui. Under such circumstances, they really didn't dare to jump.

A group of officials and gentry looked at each other in confusion.

But the young and strong can't wait.

"Brothers, send the old man on his way!"

A young man shouted.

Then he rushed towards a country gentleman in front of him, and before the latter could react, he grabbed his legs and threw him out.

The latter screamed in horror.

Then it smashed towards the bamboos waiting below.

Immediately, all the young and strong men on the wall rushed to the nearest official and gentry. They were all locals, familiar with each other. Those who were usually the most outrageous, even hundreds of them, rushed over to help him make his choice, deliberately throwing him upward with force to increase his landing height. On the other hand, those who were usually respected had no one to help them. But such people were rare. After all, there were more people than resources on the wall. They watched as officials and gentry were thrown out one after another. Most of them had bamboo growing out of their bodies, but a few actually survived the fall.

This really wasn't done by Yang Feng. Since it was the choice of Lord Haotian, let's leave it to that so-called God.

He lets whoever he wants to live live.

Of course, in the eyes of the people, this is truly the judgment of the God of Heaven.

"Brothers, there are still many in the city. Let's bring them here and ask the Lord of Heaven to make the judgment."

The young man from before shouted.

The people on the city wall who were still not satisfied immediately swarmed to the horse road, and then turned into a torrent pouring into the streets. At the same time, more people joined in. They happily swept the entire city, dragged out those hiding officials and gentry directly to the city wall, and then threw them out to be judged by the God of Heaven. The number of officials and gentry dressed as if they were being executed under the Zhenjiang city wall continued to increase, forming a spectacular scene.

At this time, on the canal behind Yang Feng.

"Monster, monster, this monster was born by the heaven and earth for the Ming Dynasty."

A guy in civilian clothes stood on the deck, watching the scene, his lips trembling as he talked to himself.

His companion next to him quickly covered his mouth.

The Ming Emperor Gaozu in the sky suddenly turned his head and looked at them.

His companions quickly pulled him down to his knees, and everyone on the canal boats before and after them knelt down and kowtowed to Emperor Taizu Gao.

Fortunately, they were wearing civilian clothes, so Emperor Taizu Gao did not pay much attention to them. After they kowtowed, they quickly hid in the cabin.

"Let's go back to Suzhou."

The companion said to the captain.

The canal boat quietly turned around and headed south.

At this time, the vanguard of the Ming army following Emperor Taizu Gao finally arrived in Zhenjiang.

The remnants of the Qing army outside Zhenjiang City, like zombies walking around, offered no resistance. They simply sat in the devastation, waiting for the Ming army to approach them and allow them to tie them up. The river, now back to normal, was dotted with the shattered remains of countless warships and floating corpses. The previously engulfed Jinshan Mountain had reappeared, but the iconic Longyou Temple and pagoda were gone, and even the trees were covered in mud.

This is a small hill with an altitude of less than 50 meters, surrounded by shallow water. Most of the matter stirred up by the 16,000-ton boulder is actually mud and sand.

All poured on top.

It did make the hill much more fertile.

Zhenjiang was recovered as officials and gentry fell from the city walls one after another.

Furthermore, they not only recovered Zhenjiang but also effectively annihilated the lower Qing army. The body of the Qing commander, Beile Bolo, was discovered the next day. He had been broken in half by the rubble thrown by Emperor Taizu Gao's boulder, effectively being cut in half. Passing Ming troops failed to notice him; he lay in the mud and died at some unknown time. Less than a thousand of his Qing troops fled to Danyang, where they joined up with Hetuo's troops and fled south in a panic, eventually joining Ajige in Wuhu.

Of the surrendered Ming troops, only less than 6,000 escaped, and they were all captured. Among the main generals, Zhang Tianlu was killed by bullets, and Li Chengdong's body was nowhere to be found. He was hit on the head by a 16,000-ton boulder. The others were in the same situation. After all, no matter how fast they could run, they could not escape the attack from the sky.

At this point, the Qing army that had followed Duoduo across the river was basically wiped out, and only the Ajige Group in Wuhu remained in Jiangnan.

It is said that Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiangnan in the Qing Dynasty, had just announced in Zhenjiang that the Qing Dynasty’s army had defeated the demons a few days ago, but the Qing Dynasty’s army was defeated by the demons.

However, Hong Chengchou was not dead. He had gone to Danyang before this and originally wanted to contact the gentry in Changzhou, who were already considering welcoming the royal army. As a result, the royal army was gone, and Hong Chengchou also fled with Hetuo.

However, after recovering Zhenjiang, Emperor Taizu Gao did not move forward for the time being.

He once again issued imperial edicts to all places.

He wanted to use the materials his son had prepared for him to build a giant stone tablet in Nanjing, called the "Eternal Country Stele", so he required all places to escort royal family members to the court.

The deadline is the end of the year.

Those who fail to attend will be removed from the Jade Book.

At the same time, a new monarch will be chosen from among the royal family to inherit the throne.

(End of this chapter)