Southern Ming, my destiny is too abstract

Chapter 24 Whose general is this?
"I heard that the prince's right leg has been broken."

In the Ludao Zuofu Yamen, there were only three or four people from the Ming Dynasty Cabinet, chatting and gossiping.

The identity of the king's uncle is indeed extraordinary.

Not to mention that during the Zhengde and Jiajing years, Emperor Wuzong's two uncles were arrogant and lawless.

Emperor Sejong was a dictator who was so autocratic that he waited until Empress Zhang died before beheading her.

The uncle-in-law and Empress Ma who were killed by Emperor Taizu were actually sworn siblings.

Therefore, after Wang Weigong was arrested, Emperor Yongli pleaded with the Crown Prince for mercy.

Then came the prince's angry words in the tent.

Deng Shilian sighed: "More than Marquis of Huating."

"Eunuch Yang Guoming and Military Selectman Guo Lin had already been beaten to death. They were wrapped in bamboo mats and buried in a shallow pit dug outside the city."

Chen Ande, who had just entered the cabinet, stopped writing with his brush.

"One of them once disobeyed the imperial edict and opened a gambling den, and the other was Ma Jixiang's clerk. It's no surprise that the Investigation Department took heavy-handed action."

"Even Pan Huang, when he heard the police were going to arrest criminals, stopped enjoying himself with the barbarian woman."

After a few breaths, Chen Ande hesitated and said, "It's Yang Shengfang, the Minister of Personnel, and Ding Diaoding, the Imperial Guard. They haven't committed any serious crimes, yet His Highness has issued a special order to arrest and reform them."

Deng Shilian shook his head.

"This is an unprovoked disaster. Your Highness is venting his anger and speaking up for Guangchang Marquis Gao Wengui."

"Generals Gao and Wu led the troops to rescue the emperor. The emperor ordered them to withdraw with the imperial edict."

Ren Guoxi, who was standing aside, was glad that he had been accepted into the prince's small group at an early stage, otherwise more than half of the ministers would have been sent to the Investigation and Investigation Division for reform, and he would have been indispensable.

Apart from those who had been attached to Ma Jixiang in the past, the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty who were reformed were the emperor's close ministers.

Yongli Zhu Youlang became a real lonely man.

Deng Shilian asked Ren Guoxi, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asked you to write a poem for the Emperor. Which poet is it?"

Ren Guoxi replied with mixed feelings: "It's the Breaking Formation Technique."

Eight-legged essay was popular in the Ming Dynasty, and literary writing was not a required test in the imperial examinations.

Deng Shilian thought for a while: "Is it Yan Tongshu's or Xin Jiaxuan's?"

"The Southern Tang emperor's."

After saying that, Ren Guoxi handed the copy of Li Yu's poem in which Zhu Cixuan had changed two words to several colleagues.

Deng Shilian saw on the paper the country and homeland of the past fourteen years and the three thousand miles of mountains and rivers.

There was silence for a moment.

From eastern Guangdong to western Yunnan, isn’t that exactly three thousand miles?

Chen Ande repeated, "Once you are my captive, once you are my captive, I will be my captive."

He traveled thousands of miles to various European countries, but no one paid attention to him and he had to compromise.

But how could the humiliation at that time be greater than that suffered by the Ming civil and military officials who had no choice but to surrender to the Qing Dynasty?

Ren Guoxi sighed, "Prisoners, prisoners."

"We, the subjects who surrendered to the Eastern Tartars, can still serve as their subjects."

"If your highness and his son were captured, Li Yu of Southern Tang would be in great trouble."

The three emperors of the Ming Dynasty after the Jiashen Rebellion were either taken to Caishikou in the capital and beheaded if they did not die for their country.

"No wonder His Highness no longer wants to endure the country and is carrying out a major purge of the court."

The cabinet was speechless for a moment.

As a civil official, under normal circumstances, I would have strongly advised against it long ago.

But they were more afraid that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince might go mad and try to reform Emperor Yongli.

Choose the lesser of two evils.

For the safety of the emperor.

To vent the prince's anger.

It’s better to let the Ming Dynasty officials suffer.

At this time, Jinyiwei commander Deng Kai limped into the room.

"My Lords, has the inscription commemorating the merits of Marquis Guangchang been completed?"

Deng Shilian replied, "Your Highness wants us to record all the soldiers of Hongsha who have sacrificed their lives to save him over the years, but he also wants to send someone to inquire about the troops under the King of Jin."

Deng Kai waved his hand: "His Highness said that it was another monument. There is no rush. Let's install the Guangchang Marquis's monument first."

Ren Guoxi took a stack of papers from the shelf.

Deng Kai took the article and said:
"Wu Sangui's spies have already entered Mubang. The ministers should refrain from going out for the next few days."

……

Searching for food in the morning and searching for food in the evening, the poor people are now struggling to make ends meet.

Open the door quickly and wait for the Emperor to come, praying that the whole family will be well.

Cook fish and shrimp, prepare sweet drinks,
Open the gate to welcome the Emperor Ming, and no grain will be collected when the Emperor Ming comes.

No worries about food and clothing, but when you are short of food and clothing, there is the wise emperor.

There was no conscription and no tax, and everyone spent their time happily.

A group of people wearing turbans and longyi robes watched a few children dancing and singing as they passed through their group.

The burly man with a Liaodong accent spat, "Bad luck."

After saying that, he complained to the leader: "General Ma, since we already know that the fake king Li Dingguo has conquered the Hongsha capital, why did we make this trip in vain?"

"It's winter in Hongsavadi and it's still so hot. I'd better go back and report to the general as soon as possible."

General Ma stared at the child's departing back, and it took him a while to come back to his senses.

After looking around, he looked at the dissatisfied Liaodong man.

"We secretly entered Hongsha on the orders of the King of Pingxi to contact Mangbai, the Prince of Toungoo, who had come as an envoy earlier."

"Although King Hongsa is dead, his brother, King Toungoo, still rules Lower Hongsa."

"We can't lurk around Emperor Yongli and his crown prince as an insider, so we must at least get in touch with Mangbai."

"We've climbed mountains and waded through rivers, but we haven't accomplished anything. If you want to go back to Kunming, you can go back on your own."

The strong man from Liaodong looked around. Except for him and a personal guard of the King of Pingxi who was also keeping watch, all the others were General Ma's confidants and local chieftains.

Knowing that no one responded to him, he could only stammer.

"Who knows if you, a fickle person like you, will betray the Qing and surrender to the Ming again?"

General Ma pretended not to hear and asked the Han interpreter how to go to Xiahongsha.

The Han Chinese interpreter thought for a moment and said, "Sir, in previous years, you could go to Ava City and take a boat directly to Daguang."

"Many merchants from Yunnan Province and the Red Barbarians have their own fleets sailing on the Jinsha River, and a round trip takes less than ten days."

"But the Ming Empire is currently occupying Upper Hongsha and at war with Lower Hongsha, so this waterway is impassable." "The only way is to go overland through Yangmydin County to Toungoo County. I don't know if the Toungoo Marquis you're looking for is in his fiefdom or in Pegu Daguang."

"If we have to go through Toungoo County to Bago, it will take at least ten days."

General Ma thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to Hongsha Capital to check the situation first."

After that, the group disguised as cotton purchasing merchants took another two days to arrive at the north gate of Ava City.

Hiding by the roadside, he watched a group of cavalrymen galloping past. It was another group of people, whom Hongsha called the Education Team, escorting hundreds of prisoners to repair the city wall.

There was a whisper in the team.

"The Ming army's armor is neatly arranged, their swords and guns are in good condition. Look at the prisoners in the training camp. They obey orders and have strict discipline. It seems they are also trained according to the military and are ready to take up weapons and serve as powerful soldiers at any time."

The strong man from Liaodong whispered to his companions.

"That's right. I just asked a Han Chinese interpreter, and they said the training team is actually the Jinyiwei, and they hold over 10,000 prisoners for training."

Both of them felt a chill in their hearts.

The Ming Dynasty, which had fled to foreign countries, had already stabilized.

I don’t know whether it is good or bad for King Pingxi.

After General Ma finished looking at the Guangchang Marquis Merit Monument standing at the north gate, his face remained calm as he greeted his subordinates.

"Let's go into the city and rest first. Let's ask the Han Chinese interpreter to sell the porcelain and gems we brought. Then we'll go to the South Gate and see if there are any merchant ships going to Xiahongsha."

The group checked into a restaurant where a red-haired man lived.

After dinner, he called Mrs. Hongsha over and prepared to relax.

General Ma brought an interpreter with him to translate the notice torn from the city gate.

After the Chinese interpreter in the room finished translating, he waited quietly for the general who was lost in thought.

A few moments.

General Ma suddenly said, "What did you say?"

The Han Chinese interpreter was stunned: "Sir, I didn't say anything."

General Ma frowned for a moment.

Not right.

There was no other sound in my ears except moaning and gasping.

General Ma stood up and ran to the window. Through the gap in the window frame, he found that the street had been deserted for some time.

Seeing this, General Ma chuckled and then fell into deep thought again.

After a moment, he said with a complicated expression:
"Go and call the people from the two wings on my left."

When the four confidants entered the house, General Ma had already put on a suit of cloth armor. His face was calm and he spoke slowly.

"Everyone says I'm two-faced and a double-faced person who keeps betraying the Lord."

"Who would have thought that in troubled times, surrendering to a strong opponent is common sense."

"When I was thirteen, I followed the King of Rebellion to join the Dashun Kingdom. Later, my army was surrounded by the Ming army and I surrendered to the Ming."

"After hanging around for a few years, I worked with Li Chengdong and finally joined Gao Jie's army. I thought I was safe."

"Dai Qing's Gulun army marched south again, and the armies of the four towns of the Southern Capital of the Ming Dynasty were defeated, so they joined the Qing army again."

"At that time, he served as Li Chengdong's deputy general, went to Fujian and Guangdong, destroyed the two emperors, and pursued Yongli."

"When King Jin of Gan Province rebelled, he and Li Chengdong rebelled and came to the Ming Dynasty, and served as the emperor's escort and were granted titles."

General Ma smiled and continued without stopping.

"After the Qing army conquered Guangdong and Guangxi, I fled to the mountains and forests and stationed my troops in Yangshan."

"Two years later, the Western Camp left Yunnan, and the King of Jin forced Kong Youde to death. I joined forces with the Loyal Camp and won victory after victory, retaking the counties of northwest Guangdong."

"Then I followed the King of Jin to slay Nikan in battle, recapture western Guangxi, and advance into eastern Guangdong."

"Zheng Yanping broke his promise, was defeated in Xinhui, and retreated to Guangxi Province. He then pursued the emperor to Guizhou Province and joined Sun Kewang."

"Sun Kewang usurped the throne, and I, along with the Prince of Gongchang, became the Prince of Jin's accomplice."

"Later, later."

General Ma looked up at the roof. Only a year had passed, but it seemed like a long time ago.

"Later, when the Qing Dynasty's Gulun army invaded, I abandoned Kunming and defended western Yunnan. When I heard that the emperor had abandoned the country, I surrendered to the Eastern Tartars again."

General Ma rubbed his dry and peeling face and laughed again.

"When I was little, I didn't have enough to eat, so I didn't have any thoughts of being loyal to the emperor or patriotic. I would follow whoever could give me food and lead me to victory."

"I don't know when I started to be obsessed with Ming Dynasty!"

"Great Ming, how could you have starved my two siblings to death? I was so hungry that I turned to thieves."

"I followed Li Chengdong and killed many Ming Dynasty people and officials."

"Logically speaking, my relationship with the Ming Dynasty is as hostile as the Yellow Turbans' relationship with the Han Dynasty in the Three Kingdoms period."

After briefly recounting his life story, General Ma's eyes showed confusion.

Yes, when was it?
Did the King of Sui Jin break the legend that Dai Qing Gu Lun was invincible?
It was in Wuzhou in western Guangxi that he was respected by Emperor Yongli and his ministers, was granted a title, and received respect and honor that a lowly commoner had never received.

It's impossible that he was like Bai Wenxuan, thinking that Yongli was the true emperor and could restore the Han Dynasty, right?

still.

Or just as it says on Gao Wengui’s monument of merit, the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty were unwilling to become foreign ghosts exiled to their hometown.

He was also unwilling to become a ghost of a foreign race after his death.

He is Han Chinese.

After his death, he became the ghost of Dai Qing Gu Lun. Could he be reunited with his parents and siblings who were the ghosts of Daming?
He is Han Chinese.

He was a Han Chinese from Qin, the land where the Han and Tang dynasties established their capitals.

General Ma's eyes were red, he drew his sword and looked at his four trusted confidants.

"There's no point in saying anything else."

"We are now surrounded by the Jinyiwei or the Ming army. We are trapped in enemy territory and will either be killed or captured."

"How about you all follow me and kill those two Wu Sangui bastards, and take their heads back to the Ming Dynasty."

"I've gone through this five or six times in my life, and this one is no different."

……

Zhu Cixuan looked at the prompt on the system panel blankly.

[You recruited the top-level general Ma Bao and gained 200 Life Points.]

Whose general is this?

So brave!

(End of this chapter)