Ming Dynasty: Summoning game players at the beginning

Chapter 364 Tomato and Egg Rice, Twenty-Five and a Half Yuan

News of the defeat at Jishui spread rapidly among the scattered and fleeing soldiers, with many counties along the way opening their gates and county officials fleeing.

Upon hearing that the rebel army was approaching, the gentry fled to the canal with their families, abandoning even their fields and shops.

After all, the rumored rebel army was a madman who slaughtered gentry indiscriminately, saying that he would wipe out all the gentry in the north who owned thousands of acres of land and had passed the imperial examinations, making him even more insane than Huang Chao.

The gentry did not know whether the rumors were true or false; all they knew was that saving their lives was the most important thing.

Some people exclaimed that the brutality of the northern bandits was comparable to that of the barbarian invasion of China in the past, and that they too would have to endure the tragedy of "the southward migration of the gentry".

Fortunately, the main force of government troops was still stationed in Jiangbei, and the gentry knew that everything would be better if they went to the prosperous Jiangnan region.

Those who couldn't squeeze onto the riverboats contacted other families to gather their servants and travel south along the river. For hundreds of miles, the area was in a state of chaos and turmoil due to war.

A pungent odor filled the air, and various luggage and supplies were scattered everywhere. A dilapidated carriage was overturned, and the bodies of men, women, and children lay around it. Judging from the tattered cloth left on the bodies, these people came from wealthy families.

They either died at the hands of bandits or in the chaos of war...

Looking at the traces of chaos nearby, Yang Wenyue was filled with emotion. All of this was caused by his incompetent command. If the suppression of the bandits had gone smoothly…

With supplies difficult to collect, many counties fell into anarchy, and warehouses were emptied of money and grain through corruption or taken away by rioters.

Even if he sent troops to the countryside to collect grain, they often came up empty-handed.

The people regarded the government troops as demons, and at the first sound of commotion, they ran faster than rabbits, and much of their grain and cloth were hidden in corners that could not be found.

Although the government troops were clearly traveling on Ming territory, they faced supply difficulties as if they were deep behind enemy lines, and had to slaughter mules and horses to fill their stomachs.

Every day and night, soldiers could not bear the "torture" and led their troops away on their own, and the original force of more than 6,000 was almost reduced to less than 4,000.

Yang Wenyue knew that if things continued like this, the group would break up before they even left Shandong.

Just when things were getting tough, he suddenly noticed two groups of people ahead. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were a group fleeing south and a "bandit pursuit team".

This bandit force numbered only three or four hundred, yet they repeatedly charged and attacked the fleeing group of two thousand people.

However, the bandit army's flags were simple, consisting of only a few incongruous red turban flags bearing the inscriptions "Deputy General of the Red Turban Army Vanguard," "General-in-Chief of the Great Qi," and "Right Route Marshal of the Red Turban Expedition against Ming." These flags were neither those of the Beggars' Rebels nor those of the Red Turbans, and lacked the chaotic flags typically found on both groups of bandits.

Seeing that Liangshen was being hunted down, Yang Wenyue hesitated again.

If these bandits are genuine, and he only has four thousand defeated soldiers, a direct confrontation would expose his whereabouts...

"Governor Yang, should we save them or not?"

Zhu Yu, the deputy commander of the standard battalion, looked puzzled and hoped to get a word of permission from the governor.

Looking around, Yang Wenyue saw that his generals were all looking at him with confusion. He knew he couldn't show any weakness at this moment and had to show the authority of the governor-general, otherwise the scale of the collapse would be even greater.

Four thousand against four hundred—even if the enemy troops are fierce and brave, they still have a fighting chance!
Yang Wenyue steeled his resolve, gritted his teeth, and said, "Go quickly to quell the bandits and save the people!"

Upon receiving the order, 70% of the thousands of soldiers immediately mobilized.

Yang Wenyue originally thought he would have to go through a fierce battle, but to his surprise, the band of bandits collapsed in one go, and more than half of them were captured.

After some interrogation, it was learned that this group of people were all local scoundrels. They heard that the Beggars had crossed the Yellow River and were heading north. They also heard that the Red Turban rebels had defeated the government army. So they took the Red Turban banner and robbed the gentry. This was partly to support the rebels' policy of "suppressing the powerful and wealthy" and partly to strengthen their own power and accumulate capital for joining the rebels in the future.

Upon hearing the phrase "massacre of gentry," Yang Wenyue was secretly alarmed and questioned why the petty thief, who was already robbing property, was indiscriminately killing innocent people.

The petty thief said with a fawning expression, "It was the Red Turban rebels who wanted to massacre officials and gentry; we were just playing along..."

"Traitor!" Yang Wenyue waved his hand, and the little thief's smile came to an abrupt end. The other prisoners were also beheaded one by one, and hundreds of round heads were thrown to the ground, leaving trails of blood.

When it was seen that rioters were causing trouble under the banner of the bandit army, countless wicked people followed suit.

The order in the north has completely collapsed. In this case, even if he gathers thousands of troops and marches north to the capital, can he take His Majesty to Sichuan or Jiangnan?

The road north has become a dead end!

The rescued gentry also persuaded Yang Wenyue to travel south with them, and told him that the rebel army had entered Jinan and had killed all the vassal states of Heng and De.

Bandit armies in various regions are expanding wildly. Once their territories border each other, a major war is bound to break out. Just look at the endless wars in the north at the end of the Jin Dynasty.

The cruelty of today's bandit armies is in no way inferior to that of the barbarian invaders of yesteryear.

When hundreds of thousands of rebel troops start attacking, what use will Yang Wenyue's few thousand government troops be? Won't they just be sent to their deaths?

"My lord and father are in the north; how can I abandon them?"

"Governor Yang has devoted himself to the country and the people for more than ten years, and has done everything he could to be benevolent and righteous. However, the foolish emperor has been too hasty in governing the country and has no clear understanding of rewards and punishments. Today, you have suffered a great defeat in Jinan, two vassal states have fallen, Shandong is in ruins, and Zhili is in shock. Given the magnanimity of this foolish emperor, how can he tolerate you? Even if you don't think of yourself, you should at least think of your family and the safety of the thousands of soldiers around you."

As for the emperor in the capital, that's fate. The country is in such a state of disarray that it's mostly due to the incompetent ruler's chaotic governance. What does it have to do with the loyal ministers?
Even if something unspeakable happens, a member of the imperial family can be chosen to inherit the throne, repeating the "Eastern Jin" system of dividing the country along the Huai River, thus securing half of the empire and ensuring the continued existence of the Ming Dynasty.

"Yes, Governor Yang, this trip to the capital is also a one-way journey!"

After several rounds of persuasion, Yang Wenyue almost gave up the idea of ​​heading north. He planned to break through the activity area of ​​the Wild Wolf Bandits and the Beggar Bandits and go to northern Henan to meet with Lord Li. This would strengthen the Northern Expedition forces and help rescue his father and emperor as soon as possible.

Then some gentry advised that the bandit-controlled area was full of the main force of the bandits, and how could Yang Wenyue's mere few thousand soldiers possibly compete with them? He was just courting death.

The best course of action is to head south along the canal. Apart from Lord Li, the government troops in Jiangbei still have four garrisons of soldiers.

Even if these four garrisons "raise their troops and value themselves," they can still fight back if bandits really come knocking. At that time, as the governor-general with real power, Yang Wenyue will surely be able to gradually control these arrogant and fierce soldiers.
Once the army of 100,000 is organized and a northern expedition is agreed upon with Lord Li, the bandits in the north can be wiped out in no time. At that time, how could Yang Wenyue not be granted a title?

It should be noted that during the Ming Dynasty, the number of civil officials who were granted titles could be counted on two hands.

His insightful analysis stirred a fire within Yang Wenyue, and a sense of ambition beyond his years welled up within him.

To die for a king who is determined to kill you, whether on the way or by the executioner's blade, with no one knowing of your loyalty and integrity?
Or should they preserve their lives and head south to plan for a northern expedition, becoming the pillar of half the country?
Anyone can make that choice.

Yang Wenyue gritted his teeth and made the decision to head south.

He also knew that if he insisted on heading north at this moment, thousands of exhausted soldiers might "kidnap" him and force him to head south.

Having lost his prestige, he probably wouldn't even be qualified to control the army anymore.

Having made the decision, thousands of soldiers and refugees headed south along the canal. Along the way, they encountered bandits and thieves, but fortunately, they escaped unharmed and successfully arrived at the outskirts of Dongchang.

The gates of Dongchang were tightly shut, and soldiers in simple armor occupied the city walls. The bloody mess outside the gates told the story of the tragedy that had taken place here.

Finally, they encountered a well-defended city. The soldiers were eager to enter the city and have a good meal. These days, the gentry's army had been eating them, and they were severely short of food. Most of their horses and mules had been eaten.

A lieutenant general wanted to ride forward and knock on the door, but Yang Wenyue immediately stopped him.

The garrison on the wall could barely be described as "disciplined," but they did not fly a single military flag. So they sent a skilled rider to the gate on horseback, while they themselves led their troops to temporarily reside outside the city gate.

Unexpectedly, the people on the city wall did not ask the visitors to prove their identities. Instead, they asked a meaningful question: "Are you Ming soldiers or rebel soldiers?"

When the rider repeated the above words, Yang Wenyue felt something was strange.

If the garrison troops are loyal to the Ming Dynasty, they should be addressed as "officers" and their respective units should be questioned in detail. However, if the garrison troops have already defected to the rebels, they should not be referred to as "rebel troops."

Regardless, Yang Wenyue realized that the city guards were trying to determine the origin of the newcomers!
If they uttered a single wrong word at this moment, they would be turned away and attacked by the city's defenders.

With thousands of exhausted troops suffering another setback, they are likely to scatter in disarray.

Yang Wenyue could perhaps order his soldiers to bypass the city and head south, but there was nowhere to replenish the lack of money and food.

It's not far from nightfall. If we don't enter the city soon to replenish our supplies and rest, the morale of the entire army will plummet, and a mutiny will be imminent.

Are they government troops or bandits? Yang Wenyue closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then suddenly opened them.

Let's take the gamble!
To the astonishment of Zhu Yu and his generals, Yang Wenyue ordered several commanding officers to shave their heads—a truly bizarre act.

"Why?"

Zhu Yu and the others were puzzled. They knew that in the days when people's bodies and hair were given to them by their parents, shaving and trimming one's beard had to be done on an auspicious day. How could they do it in a hurry?

It felt like someone ordered a strong man to dig out his "eggs".

"Our lives are hanging by a thread right now. If you want to live, obey my orders!"

Yang Wenyue spoke with absolute certainty, and he himself ordered people to start shaving their heads. He then added that he ordered people to rush to make flags, red, yellow, blue and white flags, with strange and unusual patterns on them.

More than ten civil officials and generals followed the instructions with doubt, and for a time they all became “Red Turban Army officers” holding up strange flags. However, with their helmets on, no clues could be seen for the time being.

After a moment of contemplation, Yang Wenyue arrived at the front and added, shouting in an unusually loud voice, "I am Yang, the General Commander of the Right Route Vanguard of the Great Qi against the Ming! By order of the former Grand Marshal of the Red Turban Army and now the King of Great Qi, I have taken over the defense of Dongchang City! Anyone who does not open the city gates within thirty-six hours shall be regarded as an enemy of my Great Qi, and the entire city shall be slaughtered after the city is breached!"

As soon as Yang Wenyue finished speaking, Zhu Yu suddenly turned his head to look at him, his face full of shock and confusion, as if asking why he had to pretend to be a bandit instead of openly revealing his identity as an official soldier.
Removing his helmet to reveal his short haircut resembling that of a monk who had returned to secular life, Yang Wenyue glanced back at his soldiers. The three generals quickly unfurled the flags they were holding and raised them high above their heads.

Zhu Yu, along with other generals, removed their helmets, revealing bizarre hairstyles such as "hedgehog head," "shark head," and "monk head."

Yang Wenyue turned his head to look at the guards, gripped the reins tightly in front of him, and secretly channeled his strength into his arms and legs. The tips of his limbs seemed to be ignited with flames, faintly burning hot.

If the test goes wrong, or if someone on the wall recognizes you, you will be met with countless poisonous arrows, and you will perish here...

Want to escape?

The soldiers on the city wall whispered among themselves for a moment, as if to say, "Such strange general hairstyles and all sorts of flags are the real Red Turban Army, not some other bandits or brigands in disguise."

Immediately, a loud shout came from the top of the wall: "Open the city gates!"

This shout was like the dawn breaking through the darkness of the night.

Yang Wenyue let out a long sigh of relief, while the soldiers and officers behind him looked astonished as if they had been struck by lightning—the garrison of Dongchang City had actually defected to the rebel army!

The question just now was a life-or-death question; any wrong answer would bring disaster.

Yang Wenyue and his group successfully entered Dongchang City, but they were disguised as Red Turban Army soldiers.

Before entering the city, Yang Wenyue whispered a reminder to strictly abide by military discipline and keep a close eye on their belts, as they would inevitably be chased by the enemy if they were discovered to be imposters.

Fortunately, Yang Wenyue only held positions in Jiangxi, Huguang, and Baoding. Few people in Shandong knew him, let alone recognized his voice.

As he rode into the city, Yang Wenyue felt a pang of sorrow. He, a dignified soldier, had to impersonate a bandit to enter the city.

Almost no civilians were out on the streets of the city; instead, soldiers covered in blood were carrying away civilians and soldiers who had died in the chaos.

"The various officials who were false Ming officials in the city, who stubbornly resisted the Great Qi army, have been executed by us. If there are any omissions, please point them out, General Yang!"

The garrison commander fawned over Yang Wenyue and his men, completely oblivious to the fact that these soldiers were wearing Ming-style armor.

After the Ming army suffered a crushing defeat in Jinan, local prefectures and counties were searching for their own way out.

"Aren't you afraid that we are imposters, officials of the Ming dynasty?"

Yang Wenyue mustered his courage and walked ahead with the airs of a superior, while his subordinates, Zhu Yu and others, went to take over the defense of Dongchang City as instructed—in reality, they were eager to have a big meal, as they hadn't had any proper food for days.

The garrison commander forced a fake smile, his slightly hunched back appearing so humble. "How dare I, how dare I. I have long heard of the Qi army's illustrious martial prowess. They are loyal and righteous men who destroyed the barbarians and restored Liaodong. It was only because they were betrayed by treacherous people that they had no choice but to fight back against the false Ming and establish their own foundation."

I have learned that the Qi army has decisively defeated the puppet Ming forces in Jinan, and all the surrounding counties and prefectures within a hundred li radius have been pacified by imperial decree. Those who have come to take over the city's defenses at this time, who else could they be but the elite troops of my Great Qi?"

Damn traitor! Even after surrendering to rebels, he still has such a shameless face!

The hatred at the corner of his mouth vanished in an instant, and his short, monk-like hair still itched. Yang Wenyue quickly put on a teasing expression, pointed at the guard, and said, "You are quite alert."

"Hehe." The garrison commander chuckled to himself. "The Qi army's reputation for power is known throughout the countryside. Even the children by the roadside often recite, 'Open the city gates to welcome the Qi army, the Qi army will not collect taxes when they come.' They also say that the Qi army can take on ten Ming soldiers each. Now, tens of thousands of Qi soldiers are sweeping across the land, and the false Ming is nothing but dust. I'm afraid that the prefectures and counties of the land will soon return to the Great Qi."

The garrison commander was in high spirits, seemingly believing he could join the ranks of rebel generals, secure a new position in the war of dynastic change, and lay a foundation for his descendants.

However, to Yang Wenyue, these words cursing the Ming Dynasty to its sudden demise were like needles pricking his ears, causing him a headache. He snorted coldly in displeasure, which startled the garrison commander.

The commander's fake smile froze instantly. He instinctively wanted to kneel down and beg for forgiveness, but his knees remained bent in mid-air. He neither knelt nor straightened up. "I am a man of few words. If I have offended you in any way, please enlighten me..."

Yang Wenyue wanted to play a trick on this person, so he looked into the distance without saying a word, letting the other person live in fear.

Suddenly, Yang Wenyue felt someone approach his arm, and a slightly soft little thing was offered to his hand.

Yang Wenyue looked down and realized that the thing was actually a silver note from Tongfu Money Shop, worth a full three hundred taels.

Well, if it were in the past, Yang Wenyue would have given him a good scolding, angrily accusing the other party of underestimating his "integrity".

But now the future is uncertain, and more money can provide more strength to reorganize the army.

"You brat," Yang Wenyue waved his hand, "do you know that the Great Qi army is strictly disciplined and bribery is absolutely forbidden? Are you trying to put me in danger?"

Upon hearing this, the garrison commander was filled with doubt. Although the Red Turban Army was renowned for its integrity and discipline, how could there really be such a "foolish" person who was "honest and devoted to public service"?
Even if there are some, they are only a very few "rare items".

At the beginning of each dynasty, there was always a righteous and righteous crackdown on corruption, but that was just for show for the people.

How can these rules restrain the royal family and nobles who conquered the country?
Big shots can say they don't accept bribes, but you little nobody, try not to give them and you'll be made to suffer until your feet break.

"How dare I? How dare I? This is merely a gift from a son to his father. Even with the might of the Great Qi, shouldn't we abide by basic human ethics? A son's filial piety towards his father is only natural." The garrison commander said matter-of-factly, "This humble general humbly begs General Yang to accept this gift and to point out any oversights I made earlier..."

Hearing that the garrison commander was not suspicious, Yang Wenyue stopped refusing and skillfully tucked the silver note into his pocket. "Ahem... Our Great Qi is a just state, how can it be compared to those thieves who deceive the common people? Although our Great Qi wants to give the people a rest, it is not a thief who refuses to pay taxes. If the people of the world do not pay taxes, where will we raise funds for our army?"

Torture and plunder the gentry is not a long-term solution. King Qi has already ordered that the gentry be respected and not arbitrarily humiliated.

Recklessly propagating national policies under the... pseudo-Meiji regime—what will the consequences be? Be careful, your head might roll!

"Ah!" The garrison commander suddenly realized, subconsciously touched his neck and found that his head was still there. He quickly kowtowed to Yang Wenyue to express his gratitude, and then handed over a silver note, which was another three hundred taels of silver.

"The granaries and warehouses have been sealed, and we are just waiting for the superior to inspect them!"

"Good, very good, you've done a good job!" Yang Wenyue immediately beamed with joy. With this money and provisions, they would be able to complete the journey. "However, the current situation is unclear. The Beggars and Wild Wolves are right in front of us. His Highness Prince Qi has ordered me to organize the troops and make sure to keep the bandits west of the canal. You must prepare provisions and horses for our army. I will put in a good word for you before His Highness in the future!"

"Thank you, General Yang! If you do not mind, I would like to become your godfather! From now on, I will be your loyal follower and stand with you through thick and thin!" The garrison commander, beaming with joy, knelt down and kowtowed again. Then, with his forehead covered in dust, he pointed the way, "Godfather, please come in. I have already prepared a feast and am waiting for you to take your seat!"

After being nourished by plenty of wine and meat, the four thousand soldiers finally recovered somewhat.

When Yang Wenyue led his troops out of the city to "punish the beggar bandits," the garrison commander was still beating drums and blowing horns on the wall to boost their morale.

Yang Wenyue, however, remained on horseback, taking out paper and pen to write down the many strange behaviors of the Beggars and Red Turbans, so that it would be helpful for the government troops when they faced the main force of the rebels.

"The thief's magical power is astonishing, yet he follows the principles of nature and stops when he has made a move. Although he can summon wind and rain, he does not use lightning to harm people or flood cities. He can be called a Taoist master. One can fight him, but one should not be angry with him."

The thief studied evil magic, fearless of life and death, and was like someone who had been taking cold food powder for a long time. He was capricious, cruel and tyrannical, liked to shave his head, raise disorderly flags, befriend the common people, and distance himself from the virtuous and good. He also deeply hated the Tartars.

"The thief can observe the fortunes of mortals and enjoys killing those at the height of their power to seize their spiritual energy and forge evil magical weapons, such as the Heartless Cannon, Thunderbolt Flower Bullet, Samadhi True Fire Glazed Lamp, Thunder Finger, Six-Pronged Handgun, Flying Spirit Fire, Everlasting Staff, and Fierce Puppet." — *The Record of Extraordinary Thieves*

……

On both sides of the Yellow River, a large number of gentry and officials who had suffered "persecution" from bandits crossed the Yellow River with their families to seek refuge with a loyal minister in Henan who held great military power.

(End of this chapter)