Ming Dynasty: Summoning game players at the beginning

Chapter 373 A Golden Blueprint, a Treasure
In the open fields north of the capital, a knife-like wind blew, whipping up sand and gravel that lashed against the armor plates, making a fine, annoying sound.

Wu Sangui reined in his horse and stood on the bare earthen mound, followed only by a few trusted generals and five hundred elite personal guards.

The warhorse pawed restlessly at the barren, frozen ground beneath its feet, its white breath instantly torn apart by the icy wind.

Wu Sangui looked around and saw a vast expanse of sky and earth, withered grass undulating like waves, and apart from the sound of the wind, there was no sign of life.

In the second, seventh, ninth, and eleventh years of the Chongzhen reign, Zhili Province, which had suffered repeated raids by the Manchus, was already exhausted, and the population within a radius of several hundred miles had dropped by half.

In the distance, abandoned villages resemble hazy skeletons, silently pointing towards the gray sky.

Wu Sangui swallowed hard, his heart heavy as if weighed down by lead, pounding slowly and heavily in his cold chest.

He forged an imperial edict and led his army to the Miyun region, then led his personal guards to the agreed-upon location to wait.

It has been three days.

Three days have passed without any sign of the Eight Banners' vanguard cavalry, or even a support force of more than a hundred men.

He suddenly felt like a beggar waiting for alms, standing alone in this desolate wasteland!

Did those damned Tartars have an inside agent to open the border? It shouldn't be difficult for them to infiltrate a few hundred soldiers into the pass, right?

Does he expect me to lead this wavering army to help the Tartars breach the border? Would any troops other than the Guan Ning Army obey his orders to attack the border?

His arrival in the capital region greatly pleased Zhu Youjian.

His Majesty summoned him and Hong Chengchou to the capital to report on their duties, but he refused to leave, citing illness and a fall from his horse.

He understood the principle that delay could lead to unforeseen changes.

The suspicions stemming from the forged edict were already brewing. His influence was limited to the Guan Ning tribe at most, while the rest of the tribes were gradually becoming noisy.

Once the "loyal faction" discovers that he intends to defect to the Tartars, they will inevitably join forces with the Black Flag Battalion to strangle him...

Damn.

Even after temporarily seizing leadership of the army, he still felt like he was walking on thin ice, never having a moment's peace.

Wu Sangui looked up at the sky and wondered if this was a sense of crisis where one's life and fortune were at stake, as if the slightest mistake would lead to utter ruin.

Every time the wind howled, he instinctively gripped the hilt of his knife tighter.

Each time a shadow appeared on the horizon, his heart would race, only to turn into deeper disappointment and cold suspicion.

The passage of time, day and night, is like a carving knife sculpting in one's heart.

Could this move have been a mistake?
Wu Sangui looked back at the camp that was almost invisible several miles away. This army was the capital for realizing his ambitions, but also the shell that could destroy him at any time.

Wu Sangui could almost feel the gazes hidden in the shadows of the helmets, filled with suspicion, unease, and even... fear.

If the Qing army does not arrive, where will we find our way home in this vast land?
"General..." The confidant's voice was slightly distorted in the bleak autumn wind, with a hint of barely perceptible dryness, "The appointed time for today... is almost over, isn't it?"

If they return to camp too late each day, they won't be able to suppress the noise within the camp; but if they don't wait, the missed rendezvous time could lead to an anomaly...

"Wait!" Wu Sangui abruptly interrupted him, his voice hoarse, carrying an almost obsessive determination, as if he were speaking to himself.

Open the bow without turning back the arrow!

He had to wait for the right amount of time every day, because the Qing soldiers needed him as a dagger aimed at the heart of the Ming Dynasty! When the Qing soldiers appeared, he could make contact immediately and seize leadership of the surrendered troops.

This was a gamble on the Manchu Qing dynasty's ambition to enter the pass and seize the Central Plains.

At the same time, when the anomaly occurred, he was also able to lead hundreds of his personal guards to escape quickly.

Just when this anxiety and despair were about to consume him—

far away!

At the edge where the withered yellow and gray meet, a thin, constantly wriggling black line suddenly rises up without warning!

coming!

A complex and indescribable emotion surged up, a mixture of immense relief, chilling fear, and a numb sense of calm settling down.

Wu Sangui suddenly raised his hand, and all the personal guards behind him, like taut bowstrings, instantly mounted their warhorses and entered a state of combat readiness.

"Let's go!" Wu Sangui led his personal guards and quickly went to meet them.

The black line quickly widened and thickened, transforming into a moving dark cloud.

The dark clouds drew ever closer, gradually revealing their menacing outlines. The fluttering banners were the same ones Wu Sangui had seen when fighting the Tartars in western Liaoning.

Former enemies have become today's allies...

The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves resembled a thick brown cloth, and what reflected the blinding, cold light in the sunlight were countless arrows, spears, and scimitars.

The rolling warhorses struck Wu Sangui's heart like hammers and drums.

Its imposing presence is terrifying!

Even though the Tartars were crippled by the Liaodong restoration forces, they still possessed an overwhelming momentum, and were even slightly superior to the Guan Ning Army.

Just witnessing a charge made Wu Sangui feel that he was at a disadvantage.

The torrent slowed down abruptly about a hundred paces from the earthen mound, as if it had hit an invisible dam, and finally came to an abrupt stop.

The entire wilderness instantly fell into a suffocating silence, with only the wind blowing the flags fluttering and the heavy breathing of countless warhorses.

The Eight Banners Vanguard was small, numbering around a thousand.

The leading Qing general, dressed in yellow-trimmed cotton armor, with a helmet topped with a lightning rod adorned with bright feathers, rode a magnificent black horse as he slowly emerged.

He glanced at Wu Sangui and his mere few hundred men, a faint, elusive smile playing on his lips.

Behind him followed a fierce general, equally clad in armor, who coldly scrutinized Wu Sangui and his men as if they were lambs to the slaughter.

A hundred paces away, Wu Sangui spoke first, his booming voice like a bugle call, "By the way, Wu Sangui! I have been waiting here with my troops for a long time..."

The rather clumsy Manchu accent came out of his mouth; these were a few common phrases that Wu Sangui had hastily learned from his strategist.

"General Wu Sangui has indeed kept his promise..." The general nodded slightly in return, but his gaze swept across Wu Sangui's face like a knife, scrutinizing and assessing him.

His tone abruptly shifted, his voice turning noticeably colder. His gaze swept over the mere few hundred personal guards behind Wu Sangui, then fell upon the empty wilderness, a smirk playing on his lips—a smile tinged with undisguised sarcasm.

"Where is your main army? Could it be that General Wu only brought this small force, yet you intend to discuss state affairs with our Great Qing?"

A surge of anger, fueled by being looked down upon, suddenly rose within him. "You only lead a thousand men, what right do you have to be so proud?" But it was instantly suppressed by Wu Sangui's cold rationality.

He took a deep breath and met the scrutinizing gaze of the other party: "The army is stationed ten miles away, ready for battle! I, Wu, will personally lead the vanguard to welcome the Qing army to show my sincerity! The tyrannical emperor is cruel and oppressive to the people, allowing soldiers and bandits to run rampant, while rebels from outside are ravaging our land."

"I am willing to emulate the Tang emperor of old by borrowing the Uyghur army to quell the rebellion. If successful, I, Wu, am willing to offer the entire capital city's money, grain, cloth, and women as a reward." Wu Sangui threw out his prepared speech, his voice deliberately filled with grief and indignation and "righteous indignation," as if he were not a traitor who led his troops to surrender to the Qing, but a loyal minister who "borrowed the barbarians to quell the rebellion" to save the Ming Dynasty.

"Oh, I never imagined that General Wu would be such a loyal and righteous man..." The general sneered, his tone of sarcasm like a sharp knife stabbing at someone.

Meanwhile, the burly lieutenant beside him shouted in somewhat clumsy Chinese, "Borrow the troops of my Great Qing to quell the rebellion for you. The money, food, and women of one city are not enough. Why not give up the whole country as compensation?"

"To conquer the world, you need a strong army and powerful horses. Do you think you can sweep across the Central Plains with only a thousand cavalrymen?" Wu Sangui retorted sarcastically.

"Hmph, the main force of my Great Qing has already reached Xuanda, and will soon be able to break through and enter the pass. Moreover, the Great Qing army has already entered the pass many times. Every time, your Ming army is like weeds under the hooves of horses. Even if there are rebels everywhere in the pass, my Great Qing can defeat them one by one."

"There are heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people. Your Qing army is strong and powerful, but it is still a defeated enemy of the Black Flag Battalion. Now the Black Flag Battalion is right here in the capital, and the Beiwei Army is even approaching Shanhaiguan. With your lone army, don't even think about taking over the Central Plains..."

Upon hearing this, the general and his deputy fell silent for a moment.

They knew all too well how the Qing Dynasty had fallen, and the Black Flag Battalion and the Beiwei Army were their lifelong enemies.

They were quite surprised to have confirmed this crucial intelligence from Wu Sangui.

This indicates that the situation is urgent and cannot be delayed in the slightest. Once the Beiwei Army breaks through Shanhaiguan, they will inevitably clash head-on with the Eight Banners army.

We must win over Wu Sangui and quickly defeat the border troops of Xuanda so that the two armies can join forces and swiftly capture the capital.

After a moment of contemplation, the general said, "You took the army commander hostage in the dead of night, defied the emperor's edict, and led your troops to negotiate with our Great Qing. If this is revealed to the world, and the Black Flag Camp and the Beiwei Army find out, do you think they will spare your life? We are all in the same boat. Why not join forces quickly to break through the capital and divide the Zhu family's empire, so as to avoid any unforeseen complications?"

His expression shifted rapidly, and Wu Sangui finally gritted his teeth and asked, "What do I want to do?"

"I'll lend you my thousand elite cavalry. You only need to lead your troops south to clear the road to the capital, then surround the entire city. Send another force with me back to Xuanfu and Datong to launch a pincer attack..."

"San Gui can obey the Qing's orders, but he must give me the reputation of 'borrowing troops to suppress the bandits,' otherwise, who in the capital region would be willing to help me?"

"There's no need to worry about supplies or equipment." The general smiled confidently. "A group of merchants with the world in their hearts have already prepared enough provisions. I only need to send a messenger, and a steady stream of supplies will be delivered to the capital."

Wu Sangui was shocked to hear this. He never expected that the foolish emperor's chaotic actions in driving the Black Flag Battalion would push all sides to the opposite side.

This is also due to the Black Flag Battalion's "arrogant" style. They usually despise wealthy gentry and merchants, but now they're going to suffer the consequences of being united against them.

"However, my Great Qing is willing to give you the reputation of 'borrowing troops to suppress the bandits,' but what sincerity can you offer to put my Great Qing at ease?"

"what do you want me to do?"

"..." The general did not speak, but ordered his deputy to take off his helmet and point to the money rat tail on the back of the latter's head.

Wu Sangui's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition coiled around him like a cold, venomous snake.

The Qing soldiers demanded that he shave his head to show his resolve!

"Shaving your head?!"

Behind him came the suppressed gasps of the guards, filled with extreme shock and instinctive resistance!
Wu Sangui's body suddenly stiffened! His blood seemed to freeze at that moment, then rushed to the top of his head, burning his ears and making them ring!
"Wu Sangui, fame, fortune, and power are right before your eyes. Will you stubbornly follow the tyrannical emperor to your doom, or will you submit to fate and share wealth and power with my Great Qing?"

The general slightly raised his hand, and the steel jungle of the Eight Banners cavalry behind him seemed to receive a silent command, letting out a low and orderly shout.

"Huh—!"

The sound waves were like a giant hammer, slamming hard into everyone's hearts!

That chilling killing intent surged in like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing this small mound!
The warhorse retreated uneasily, and the breathing of the guards behind them suddenly became heavy. The veins on the back of their hands gripping the hilts of their swords bulged, and their knuckles turned white as they clenched their fists, almost crushing the hilts!
All the guards were waiting for their commander's orders: whether to turn and flee or to charge head-on and fight the Tartars.

Unexpectedly, Wu Sangui's voice was calm yet resonant, his gaze fixed intently on her face like lightning, carrying an undeniable madness and oppressive force—

"shave!"

Wu Sangui got the answer he wanted.

A series of verbal exchanges made him realize that the Eight Banners, though outwardly fierce, were actually weak inside.

They need Wu Sangui's followers.

He did not become a despised general begging for surrender, but rather a crucial "high-ranking official" who led troops to join the Qing Dynasty.

That's enough.

As the order to shave heads spread, Wu Sangui's confidants and personal guards trembled violently. Some stared intently at Wu Sangui, their eyes shifting from shock and indignation to a deathly despair and resignation.

As the razor touched their temples, it shaved away the dense hair little by little, taking away their last link to Han Chinese clothing.

A thousand Qing cavalrymen followed the shaved-headed Wu Sangui back to his camp, helping him to quickly suppress the "turbulent rebels."

Although the "excuse" of borrowing troops to suppress bandits spread throughout the army, most people understood that Wu Sangui had boarded the bandit's ship, not surrendered to the righteous army, and was not acting on imperial orders to pursue and suppress corrupt officials.

But none of that matters anymore.

As they sank deeper into the abyss, they no longer had a choice between remaining loyal to the Ming Dynasty or joining the righteous army.

With my scalp exposed to the biting wind, the icy chill instantly spread throughout my body, bringing an unprecedented, naked vulnerability and shame, as if I were walking naked through a bustling city, with contemptuous and disgusted gazes coming from all directions.

Their self-esteem and pride were trampled underfoot and crushed to pieces. Although the army of tens of thousands of people experienced a brief rebellion, they were ultimately unable to overcome the situation of being attacked from both sides and had no choice but to officially become a member of the Qing army.

"General Wu, next time we meet, you should be promoted to a prince of the Qing Dynasty."

The general smiled slightly at Wu Sangui, and then led away 10,000 surrendered soldiers who had shaved their heads.

On the surface, Wu Sangui lost 10,000 troops, but in reality, he handed over the non-Guan Ning troops, further strengthening his control over the remaining troops.

In the Ming Dynasty, he was merely a general commanding a unit of the Ming army, but in the Qing Dynasty, he was the commander of an army of 30,000!

He remembered the humiliation of being chased by rebel forces and fleeing to the capital, being forced to surrender to the Qing army and shave his head.

One day, when he holds great power, he will take revenge on all his enemies who have humiliated him!
The capital city, the future prince of the Qing Dynasty, Wu Sangui, has arrived!

……

With its troops depleted, Xuanda fell in less than a day under the combined attack of the Tartars from both inside and outside.

The Manchu and Mongol Eight Banners and Mongol tribes immediately marched in, and a large number of surrendered soldiers from Xuanfu and Datong joined them, either voluntarily or under duress.

Players who could only rely on the Ming army's official gazettes were unable to learn about the Qing army's entry into the pass in a timely manner, but coincidentally, several casual players happened to be in Xuanfu.

Some people travel along the border, planning to detour to Central Asia via the grasslands; others run a general store on the border, gathering intelligence on locals smuggling grain, fodder, and tea bricks.

Some people disguised themselves as merchants specializing in the Black Flag Camp, transporting a batch of civilian goods to Xuanfu for sale, intending to take the opportunity to win over a group of border generals so that they could persuade surrendered border soldiers to surrender without bloodshed in the future.

Suddenly, the enemy raided the city, and almost all of his teammates were killed in battle. He was the only one left who became a slave to transport grain.

But Wang Kongjun didn't panic. He immediately turned on his live stream and shouted to his brothers, "Brothers, I've become the Tartars' grain transport slave!"

(End of this chapter)