Ming Dynasty: Summoning game players at the beginning

Chapter 367 Why is your head so pointy?

This proposal immediately caused chaos throughout the capital.

Nobles and civil officials were loyal to the Ming Dynasty and could offer advice and strategies, but when it came to the crucial moment of "having a cow to feed," none of them were willing to "sacrifice their flesh" to save the country.

The country belongs to the Zhu family, but the wealth is theirs.

They waited for the dynasty to change and became "obedient subjects" of the new dynasty. Their wealth could be left to their descendants for three generations to enjoy. Donating it to the Zhu family would be a waste of resources. Who knows if this money could be used effectively?
Even if the rebels stormed the capital and seized power, it was still uncertain whether they would confiscate their property, since they weren't the ones who forced General Zhang to his death.

Moreover, when rebels were seizing power, "burning, killing, and looting" was commonplace; today they would devour a prince, tomorrow they would slaughter a wealthy household.

However, once the critical juncture of "dynastic change" approaches, any hero who wants to rule the country will transform from "bandit and rebel" into an emperor, embracing the talents of the world with a benevolent heart and pretending to win over the former officials of the previous dynasty.

Besides, those who were previously slaughtered were powerful families from Shandong, Henan, and Guanzhong. What did that have to do with the nobles and ministers in the capital?

Even high-ranking officials from the South have no reason to feel indignant on behalf of the slaughtered gentry from the North.

As for the nonsense circulating in the market about traitors, such as "driving out all the evil gentry from the world," "slaughtering all those who own more than 200 acres of fertile land," "trampling the bones of officials on the streets," and "a brutal purge," these are definitely rumors spread by villains!

The mastermind behind this scheme went to great lengths to incite fear of the thieves among the many princes and ministers, forcing them to spend their wealth to eliminate the thieves.

Since the rise of rebels, more and more notices have been circulating in the capital region, with a constant stream of messages that are a mix of true and false.

Some were denunciations defending the rebels, some were illustrated books exaggerating the rebels' brutality, and some were simply fabricated palace anecdotes, claiming that the Ming Dynasty's fate would not survive the year of Jia Shen...

In light of His Majesty's recent edict on "donations," the noble ministers even felt that this was a scheme by His Majesty to intimidate officials into contributing money and grain.

As the threat of death from the rebels drew ever closer, the ministers still had no money, and some even dressed in tattered clothes to sell old household items on the street, crying out that even the landlords had no surplus grain.

Seeing that his ministers had started to plead poverty after taking out a hundred or so taels of silver, Zhu Youjian had no choice but to focus on the key issues.

The nobles and officials shared the same fate as the Ming dynasty and should naturally step forward in this time of national crisis.

Leaving aside the other dukes, marquises, and earls, the emperor's father-in-law, Zhou Kui, was utterly stingy.

It was only after Zhu Youjian sent someone to "request" that Zhou Kui reluctantly offered five thousand taels of silver.

Zhu Youjian knew that his father-in-law was involved in lending and debt collection, and that the family had hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. What was five thousand taels? He should at least take out fifty thousand taels to set an example for his ministers.
Zhou Kui, who was notoriously stingy, was unwilling to comply. Five thousand taels was already a death sentence for him, and he wouldn't give a penny more.

Even though Empress Zhou persuaded her father to take out 10,000 taels of silver from his own pocket, Zhou Kui still stubbornly insisted that he had no money. He even withheld 7,000 taels of the 10,000 taels his daughter gave him, handing over only 3,000 taels, thus making a profit for himself.

With the emperor's father-in-law leading the way in being stingy, the other officials became even more "unscrupulous," and the thousands of taels of silver they originally planned to donate were immediately reduced to a few hundred taels.

The nobles and ministers of the entire city scraped together 200,000 taels of silver for Zhu Youjian.

Although Zhu Youjian was very knowledgeable about military affairs, after reading many military reports and intelligence reports, he understood that 200,000 taels of silver was just a drop in the bucket, barely enough to cover the expenses of the Beijing garrison for two or three months.

If it were two armies sent to defend the emperor, it would probably take more than half a month.

When the figure was presented to him, Zhu Youjian immediately burst into curses, repeatedly throwing the memorial in his hand across the imperial desk. "With a formidable enemy at hand, the entire court is still thinking of not giving a single penny! If the rebels break through the capital, what use will their vast wealth be? It will only benefit the rebels for nothing!"

Zhu Youjian roared to himself, lamenting that loyal ministers were becoming increasingly rare in the court, who were either incompetent or treacherous villains.

He also clearly sensed that as the bandits drew ever closer to the capital, his power as emperor was diminishing day by day, and a considerable number of officials had begun to outwardly comply while inwardly resisting.

He heard more than once that the "donation silver" handed over was actually 400,000 taels, but half of it was swindled away by the corrupt officials and clerks in charge.

But when he sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate, the result was "no evidence found." Was it that there was no corruption, or that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had been corrupted by corrupt officials?

The imperial guards were the emperor's eyes and ears. Now that one of them has been eliminated, who in the world can be trusted?
A deep unease gripped Zhu Youjian's heart, and he suddenly realized that none of the officials outside the capital could be trusted. He then thought of his loyal minister, Li Qing.

The entire court of civil and military officials was included, but only Minister Li was a loyal minister! Unfortunately, the latter received the order to defend the emperor and it would take him time to get to the capital, while he himself had not even raised enough military pay for the army defending the emperor!
The nation's lack of funds and provisions was due to the erosion of power by the wealthy and powerful—although most of the accusations secretly released by the rebels were nonsense, Zhu Youjian still acknowledged this point.

At least within the capital, the nobles and ministers certainly had money in their hands.

Seeing that His Majesty was in a difficult situation, Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan suggested that the emperor should pay tribute to the nobles and officials, and those who refused to pay should be imprisoned.

Zhu Youjian was a man who valued his reputation. He couldn't force his father-in-law, but he was very motivated to coerce other nobles, especially those who rose to power through imperial connections, such as Li Guorui, the Marquis of Wuqing, who was known for his wealth.

Harboring a bellyful of resentment, Zhu Youjian gave the other party three days to donate 200,000 taels of silver.

Let alone whether he could come up with 200,000 taels at once, even if he did, Marquis Wuqing would not be willing to squander his own wealth for someone else's empire, nor would he follow others in selling furniture and crying poverty.

But the emperor seemed to have gone mad, issuing an edict to strip him of his title and imprison him, refusing to release him unless he paid money. Unexpectedly, the cowardly Marquis of Wuqing was so frightened that he committed suicide.

Now things have gotten really messy. What should have been a matter of donating money and grain has turned into a matter of life and death, prompting many officials to submit memorials advising him to abolish the "donation system." Such a practice of exploiting his officials is definitely not the behavior of a wise ruler.

Mingjun?

Zhu Youjian thought to himself, "The country is about to perish, what use is the empty title of a wise ruler?"
Since they had already broken off relations, why bother with empty reputations? Zhu Youjian planned to confiscate the property of the Marquis of Wuqing, but unexpectedly, a major incident occurred in the palace.

The fifth prince, Zhu Cihuan, suddenly developed a high fever and persistent diarrhea. Zhu Youjian rushed to visit him, but unexpectedly, the four-year-old prince murmured in his delirium, "The Nine Lotus Bodhisattva said that the emperor treats his maternal relatives poorly and will soon lose all his sons."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian was struck dumb, as if by a bolt from the blue, and stood by the bedside for a long time, unable to recover.

Jiulian Bodhisattva was the Buddhist name of Zhu Youjian's great-grandmother, and also a relative of the Marquis of Wuqing.

No sooner had Marquis Wuqing committed suicide than his son fell seriously ill, even uttering shocking words, claiming that the Nine Lotus Bodhisattva was seeking revenge for the maternal relatives and would kill all of Zhu Youjian's sons?!

Is this a divine intervention, or is it instigated by someone else?

How could a four-year-old prince understand court politics!
A bone-chilling cold quickly spread throughout his body, raising goosebumps. Zhu Youjian was startled to find his neck feeling cold; although it was late summer, it felt like the chill of a winter night.

Who could possibly extend their reach into the palace?!
Is this a strong threat from the mastermind behind the scenes, or a demonstration against him by the "civil service group"?

He turned around and looked around. The eunuchs and palace maids who had been meek and submissive seemed to have boldly raised their heads. Their obedient faces twisted and wrinkled, as if demons and monsters had appeared. The entire palace seemed to spin, as if demons were whispering mocking words in his ear.

Zhu Youjian felt dizzy, but he pinched his thigh hard to calm himself down. Was it not just that external officials couldn't be trusted, but now even internal officials and palace maids couldn't be trusted?
"Stay calm!" Zhu Youjian cried out in his heart.

The most urgent task is to save my own life and that of my son!

Zhu Youjian ordered the imperial physicians to treat his son while simultaneously announcing his return to the palace.

Zhu Youjian, sitting in the palanquin, was tense all over, like a broken statue, his dull yet vigilant gaze fixed on the front.

Only after getting away from the "dangerous palace" did Zhu Youjian dare to breathe a sigh of relief.

He repeatedly reached out to greet Wang Chengen, a drop of sweat sliding from his palm and landing between Wang Chengen's eyebrows.

The emperor gave him two tasks: first, to change the Fifth Prince's palace and replace all the palace maids and eunuchs around him.

However, when giving the second instruction, the emperor specifically whispered in Wang Chengen's ear, "Summon Li Wu, the vanguard and deputy commander of the Black Flag Battalion, to the palace tonight!"

After giving the two instructions, Zhu Youjian collapsed onto the palanquin with a sigh of relief.

Among the many treacherous officials, both inside and outside the court, at this moment he only trusted the generals of the Li family in the Black Flag Camp!
……

In the morning, Li Wu woke up in bed, a good night's sleep sweeping away the fatigue and troubles of the day.

Every time he takes off his gaming helmet, it's like he's having a dream—a continuous, real dream where he can control his character. It's also like being connected to the late Ming Dynasty through a "portal," where he can experience different lives at any time.

Today is that dreaded Monday. Li Wu should have washed up and gone to work, but after selling the extra "activation code" for the account, he quit his job.

He's the kind of young man who works for a while and then takes a break; the rhythm of working non-stop doesn't suit him.

Moreover, as the game's popularity continues to rise, not only are activation codes being sold at exorbitant prices, but professions such as "escort bodyguards," "customized storylines," "movie extras," "gear farming services," and "gear recycling agents" have also emerged within the game, making it easy to earn two or three thousand RMB.

Some high-end escorts, who take their clients on adventures throughout the game or act as chivalrous heroes, can earn tens of thousands of yuan a month. If the client is wealthy, earning tens of thousands a month is not a dream.

During the day, they ate, drank, and had fun with their brothers, wasting their youthful energy; at night, they led their sugar daddies in a frenzied offensive, writing a legend of the late Ming Dynasty—they could be said to have made money while they slept.

Earning money while you sleep is definitely better than working yourself to death!

So, relying on his position as the deputy commander of the Black Flag Battalion, Li Wu quickly found a part-time job as a "Didi Chuxing" driver.

Thanks to the officer's uniform he had "licked" from his mentor, he quickly rose to become a top-notch enforcer.

The player who runs the beating-up business is also a big spender. He has plenty of money and is capricious. He just wants to have fun playing games. He is naturally fond of farming and management games and pay-to-win games. He spends at least tens of thousands of yuan every month playing various games. Spending more than a million yuan a year is nothing to him.

Li Wu didn't understand the capriciousness of the nouveau riche, but he knew that it was foolish not to make money when it was available.

Today you beat up a high-ranking official's wicked henchman, tomorrow you follow your brothers to take down a gang. The feeling of those punches hitting the flesh is even more exhilarating than fighting on the battlefield, and you can earn a hundred or so RMB every day.

If the person being attacked tries to threaten him by bringing up his powerful connections, saying something like, "Do you know who my master is?", Li Wu would proudly declare, "I am Lord Li's deputy general. When we were conquering Liao and destroying the barbarians, your master was still taking a dump in the latrine!" and retort.

In this territory right under the emperor's nose, you not only have to fight with your fists, but also with your powerful connections.

Despite numerous impeachments from censors against him, a mere deputy commander-in-chief, for engaging in such disreputable "business dealings" and spending his days mingling with a group of commoners, which was considered improper, Zhu Youjian trusted the Black Flag Battalion and withheld all the impeachments from the court.

Seeing that he was favored by the emperor, Li Wu became increasingly arrogant and domineering. He didn't care about nobles or ministers; as long as he offended the client who paid him, he would launch a fierce attack within half an hour.

If the host is also a bully, then Li Wu should take it easy and try to make sure both sides suffer losses.

But if the leader is an ordinary commoner who has been bullied, then he will lead the Black Flag Camp brothers to fight a fierce brawl, and beat them to death as long as they don't die.

For a time, the reputation of the deputy commander of the Black Flag Battalion was being spread throughout the eastern part of the city where Li Wu was stationed, and some even gave him the nickname "King of Boxing Who Guards the Eastern City".

Today, Li Wu is browsing game clips recorded by "war correspondents" again, and also gathering information about players from various regions.

He always makes sure to watch the videos of himself beating up spoiled brats and kicking thugs in the capital.

Despite the low number of video views, he did receive some praise in the comments and bullet screens, which gave him an extra sense of satisfaction from showing off in front of everyone.

After watching his own boasting video three times, Li Wu, still not satisfied, clicked on a farming video, about immigrating to the New World, staging a "Frost Age" in Northeast China, and developing advanced technology to make tools...

Although starting from scratch to build and develop the business can be tedious and boring, it is definitely a treat for "farming enthusiasts".

How fulfilling it must be to gradually add up every blade of grass and every tree, eventually forming a magnificent city.

The first stronghold of the Chinese people, located on the west coast of North America, was named "Xinxiang". Although it meant a new hometown, it was the same name as Xinxiang in China.

So everyone changed the name to something nicer, the ancient name of Xinxiang, Muye.

The population of "Muye Village" had reached 300, 20% of whom were assimilated Yin people, and they successfully repelled three Spanish expeditions.

In order to quickly increase the population of Makino Village, farming players advertised in various chat groups and forums, recruiting heroes from all over the world.

A migrant caravan of 500 people has arrived in Busan, North Korea, with plans to travel from Busan to the Americas.

In addition, Li Wu has recently been following a video series called "Journey to the West".

He was said to be a veteran player with rich combat experience, like a lone swordsman in the desert, who set off from Xi'an with only simple equipment and traveled westward.

He fought against the desert and guarded against foreigners along the way. During the chaos at the end of the Ming Dynasty, he retraced the Silk Road and faced life-or-death crises several times, but he overcame them all. The biggest point of interest for players now is how long this kid can survive in the Western Regions.

He's currently in a small team with two other players who are also heading west, and they're almost at Urumqi...

Just as Li Wu was about to review the latest video, he suddenly received a message from the officers' group of the Black Flag Battalion stationed in Beijing—

Hurry up and go online, Lieutenant General Li, Zhu Youjian wants to summon you to the palace!
(End of this chapter)