Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 379 Drastic changes
In this situation, how could Butler Yang hold back? He immediately said nervously, "Master Bing, four servants are dead. One is in the woodshed, and three are in the backyard... You must take people to check the Li Mansion! The pirate's spy must be here, otherwise the Tartar would have escaped!"

Lieutenant General Li was startled when he saw Butler Yang and heard these words. Pirates? He didn't know much about this matter, but when he heard the word "Tartar", he couldn't help but think of the thief who had been wanted for the past few days.

Could it be that... that person is that person? Could he be hiding in his own woodshed? This thought made Lieutenant General Li panic. He knew someone had been kidnapped at home, but he had no idea what his men had done. He just heard that this time it was a large sum of money.

Over the years, he had come into contact with many internal and external affairs of the government, especially the affairs concerning the Tartars. However, he had never expected that all this would involve him.

Lieutenant General Li immediately felt guilty and ran back to his home. The two servants saw him and followed closely behind, shouting "General".

However, Lieutenant General Li's unusual behavior did not escape the attention of those present, especially Zhang Zhizhong, whose eagle-like eyes instantly noticed the unusual movements of Lieutenant General Li and the servants. When he heard the servant blurt out the word "General," Zhang Zhizhong's brows immediately furrowed, his intuition telling him that something was amiss.

"Xiao Lao Er! Take your men and catch up with them! Don't let them get away!" Zhang Zhizhong ordered coldly, his voice brimming with unquestionable authority. Immediately afterwards, the three Jinyiwei rushed towards the Li residence like arrows, and several other yamen runners followed suit.

Butler Yang stood there in a daze, completely confused, not understanding what was happening. He watched Zhang Zhizhong's actions, his head spinning several times, trying to make sense of this sudden change.

"Master Bing, what...what's going on?" Butler Yang's voice was trembling, and he obviously hadn't reacted yet.

Zhang Zhizhong raised his eyebrows, turned around, and looked at him with a sharp look: "Come with me to the Li Mansion!"

He pushed Butler Yang hard, and Butler Yang lost his balance, stumbled, and almost fell to the ground. However, seeing Zhang Zhizhong's terrifying eyes, he quickly stopped, swallowed his saliva, lowered his head, and dared not say another word.

After taking a few steps, Zhang Zhizhong suddenly stopped, turned around and asked, "Wait... What's the county magistrate's last name?"

"My surname is Li!" Butler Yang replied hurriedly.

"Okay." Zhang Zhizhong nodded, his expression still serious: "Wu Gui, take a few people with you to arrest the county magistrate and bring him here.

This matter may not be that simple." After saying this, Zhang Zhizhong took Butler Yang and walked quickly towards the Li Mansion.

Steward Yang was in a state of confusion. He had initially thought today's matter was merely some trivial household matters, but now it seemed the seriousness of the matter far exceeded his expectations. Lieutenant General Li's unusual behavior at this moment not only made him deeply suspicious, but also made him realize that there might be a huge danger hidden behind this matter.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Li was running at full speed, his mind constantly calculating what was about to happen. He kept looking back, trying to shake off the pursuers, while constantly reminding himself: Stay calm!

Although his heart was full of doubts and fears, he did not dare to reveal any flaws - otherwise he would be seeking his own death.

Lieutenant General Li ran very fast, but no matter how fast he ran, the feeling of threat approaching from behind was still following him like a shadow, as if an invisible big hand was tightly strangling his throat, making it impossible for him to breathe.

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die! What kind of ancestor did I bring back?!" Lieutenant General Li was filled with deep fear. He ran all the way, his steps hurried, almost running with all his strength.

However, his body had long been depleted by his indulgence in the extravagant lifestyle of Zuihualou, and his physical strength was no longer what it once was. His breathing was rapid, his legs and feet felt heavy, and the more anxious he became, the more he felt an indescribable pressure.

As a deputy general, he used to be majestic and commanding on the battlefield, but now, how can he, a drunkard and a good-for-nothing, compare with those well-trained Jinyiwei?
After a while of rapid galloping, Lieutenant General Li felt sore all over and his consciousness was almost blurred.

In the end, before he reached the door of his house, he was suddenly controlled by several Jinyiwei who suddenly appeared. The cold tip of the knife was pressed against the side of his neck, and he was quickly subdued.

Lieutenant General Li was terrified, yet powerless to resist. All his ambitions, dreams of promotion and wealth, suddenly seemed so far away. With his head lowered and breathless, Lieutenant General Li was brought into the Li Mansion.

As he was escorted into the hospital step by step, the despair in his heart became stronger and stronger. His joy of going to Nanjing for promotion had now vanished, and was replaced by deep fear.

"General, why are you running?" Zhang Zhizhong asked coldly, a hint of threat in his tone. He stepped forward and looked directly at Lieutenant General Li, his eyes as sharp as a knife.

Lieutenant General Li was so frightened that his body trembled slightly, and his heart was in a panic. His usual majestic and confident appearance collapsed in an instant.

"No... no, nothing..." He spoke incoherently, shaking his head in denial with a look of horror on his face.

Zhang Zhizhong's eyes became increasingly fierce, not giving Lieutenant General Li any chance to breathe.

"Come here, break his legs!" he ordered without a trace of mercy in his voice.

"No... no, no, no, I'll tell you, I'll tell you..." Lieutenant General Li's eyes revealed extreme fear. He finally realized that he could no longer escape from all this, and then began to beg for mercy weakly:

"Don't... don't hit me... ah, ah, ah!" His voice suddenly lost control, and his scream almost filled the entire yard.

Inside the Li family compound, everyone was surrounded by a group of soldiers and yamen runners, and the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. Lieutenant General Li was usually so imposing and commanding, his name known to almost everyone in Zhangzhou. But now, he could only kneel on the ground with his legs broken, powerless to resist.

Seeing this scene, the maids were so frightened that they burst into tears, and some even fainted. The other members of the Li family also stood there with pale faces, as if unable to accept what they were seeing.

Zhang Zhizhong squatted down and stared at Lieutenant General Li lying on the ground. His expression was still as cold as ice. He asked coldly, "So, you kidnapped the Prince Consort?"

When Lieutenant General Li heard the words "Prince Consort", his mind went blank and the severe pain in his thigh almost made it impossible for him to concentrate on thinking.

However, Zhang Zhizhong didn't wait for an answer. He had already sent men to conduct a thorough search of Li's residence, but apart from discovering four bodies, they found no trace of Wei Xian. Based on the clues they now had, Wei Xian had likely escaped without notice, leaving the Li residence and evading all pursuit. Although Lieutenant General Li's lips were pale and he couldn't utter a complete sentence, Zhang Zhizhong knew that nothing was over until he saw Wei Xian with his own eyes.

Just as he was about to gather his men and begin a city-wide search for Wei Xian, something unexpected happened. A group of soldiers suddenly swarmed outside the gates of the Li Mansion. At the forefront was Wei Xian, dressed in blood-stained servant's clothes. His hands were wrapped in white bandages, and he looked a little frail, but his eyes were still sharp as a knife.

Wei Xian's bloodstained clothes vaguely showed the thrilling experience he had experienced in the past, and behind him were Zheng Hongkui and other powerful people in Zhangzhou, as well as several county magistrates, county magistrates and other officials, all of whom were rushing towards Li's mansion with an overwhelming aura.

The moment Zhang Zhizhong saw Wei Xian, he was slightly startled. He had not expected Wei Xian to escape the pursuit so quickly. However, now that he had appeared, all the speculations were no longer meaningful.

Zhang Zhizhong immediately put away his original vigilance, quickly walked forward, clasped his fists and bowed his head respectfully: "Commander!" His tone was full of endless respect and solemnity.

Wei Xian slowly raised his head and glanced at everyone present. A sneer flashed in his eyes, but he immediately regained his composure. He slowly walked towards the gate of the Li Mansion. The aura behind him was enough to scare everyone in the mansion.

"Old Zhang, your reaction is not slow." Wei Xian's voice was low and cold, full of the majesty of a superior.

Under this feeling of oppression, Zhang Zhizhong immediately felt awe. Although he remained respectful on the surface, he began to feel a little frightened in his heart.

"Please spare my life... Sir, please spare my life..."

Wei Xian ignored Lieutenant General Li's pleas. His gaze fell coldly on him. Looking at Lieutenant General Li lying on the ground with a pale face, his eyes were extremely cold.

Lieutenant General Li's clothes were already soaked with cold sweat, and pain and fear were intertwined.

Wei Xian looked around, his eyes sweeping over the dozens of people in Li's mansion. His face, which was originally full of hope, seemed to freeze at this moment, and the tense atmosphere in the air became more intense.

"Why did you tie me up?" Wei Xian's words were cold and low, filled with undisguised anger. "Do you really think you can treat me like this?"

He clearly still couldn't comprehend how he'd been trapped in such a ridiculous situation. He no longer waited for Lieutenant General Li's explanation, his eyes gradually growing colder, almost heart-wrenching. Lieutenant General Li, sprawled on the ground with a broken leg, was completely pale, having lost all the strength to resist. His eyes were blank, his mind a blur.

After a long time, he finally couldn't help sobbing softly, choking and saying: "I...I...spare me, spare me, spare me..."

Wei Xian's expression remained unchanged. He simply snorted coldly, his lips twitching slightly as if mocking Lieutenant General Li's incompetence and cowardice. He then turned around and glanced at the Li family members, young and old. These people were filled with fear and bewilderment, as if they had no idea what was happening.

Just as the Li family members were feeling uneasy and almost unable to bear the pressure, Wei Xian suddenly reached out and pulled out a sharp dagger from the guard beside him. His movements were simple and swift, without a single unnecessary pause.

Then, he turned around suddenly, his eyes were cold, and he chopped down fiercely with a knife!

"hiss--"

There was a sharp crash, and blood gushed out like a fountain. What followed was the severed head, which fell off the neck almost without warning and hit the ground hard with a "bang" sound.

The Li family members around them froze instantly, their terrified eyes filled with disbelief and fear. Wei Xian stood there, calm and composed. He raised his head and said in a cold tone:
"Everyone in the Li family, young and old, will be imprisoned according to the law, and their property will be confiscated! The maids and servants will be dismissed on the spot!"

After saying these words, he turned around and strode out of the Li Mansion. The atmosphere in the courtyard seemed to become solemn in an instant, and no one dared to make any sound.

The Li family, young and old, seemed to have not fully recovered from the horrific situation. They stared at Wei Xian's back in amazement. The fear in their hearts came like a tide, devouring their minds.

At this time, Zheng Hongkui naturally realized the seriousness of the matter. As the local controller, any unexpected incident involving Wei Xian could not be easily ignored.

Zheng Hongkui was anxious and wanted to leave himself some wiggle room. At the beginning, he had considered whether he could negotiate with Zhu Cilang to obtain some conditions. However, facing the sudden conflict before him, he knew that no matter what, he could no longer negotiate with Zhu Cilang.

But Wei Xian's status was very important. If something happened on his territory, the consequences would be disastrous, and he would become a target of criticism.

Under this situation, Zheng Hongkui had no choice but to launch the rebellion in advance and form a confrontation with the big brother's troops in the northern part of Zhangzhou.

At this time, his originally expected plans and strength had changed, and everything became complicated.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang did not stop his own layout. He had already made advance deployments in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, and appointed Li Dingguo to resist Zheng Hongkui's actions.

Meanwhile, the Zheng family had already held their troops in Fujian, preparing for the impending change in the situation. Zhu Cilang's deployment and command were exceptionally meticulous, though he remained calm and wise throughout.

He had already begun sending the Imperial Guards, trained in Nanjing, to Zhangzhou, Fujian, to verify the combat effectiveness of this brand-new army. This army carried his grand plan and was the core force for future battles. Although his main field army was already powerful enough, it was not enough. Only by pushing the modernization of the army to a whole new level could it safeguard the future.

In the afternoon, a dense crowd of ships suddenly appeared on the sea southeast of Chenghai. Hundreds of warships covered the sky, which was shocking.

Zhang Mingzhen and Li Xiaolin stood on the helm of the navy's rear main ship, their eyes sharp as they looked at the mouth of the Minjiang River not far away.

Dozens of warships ahead have successfully sailed into the Minjiang River and become the vanguard of this naval battle. Zhang Mingzhen smiled proudly in his heart, his eyes flashing with anticipation and confidence for the upcoming action.

(End of this chapter)