Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 164 The Record of Awakening from Delusion

Liuyuankou.

"Quick, stop them!"

Yanxin, filled with panic, anxiously urged his elite Manchu Eight Banners troops onward.

They fled from the southern battlefield.

Because the Green Standard Army was completely unchecked and the Eight Banners Mongols were overrun, the only ones who were able to withdraw in an organized manner were the Eight Banners Manchus he led. After all, as the supreme commander of the battlefield, he was not actually on the front line. Once the front line collapsed and he realized that the situation was hopeless, he hurriedly retreated across the Yellow River to ensure his safety, while waiting for reinforcements, or rather, waiting for Ma Ge's wrath.

Then the heavenly soldiers crossed the river.

He certainly understood what the heavenly army crossing the river meant.

If he hadn't crossed the river, Ma Ge's anger might have stopped at dismissing him from his post, but if he had crossed the river, he might have lost his head.

Even Hauge's descendants are no good!

Well, Hauge's descendants are even worse.

He panicked even more after hearing the heavenly soldiers' slogan.

"Launch Northern Expedition against Shuntian and capture Kang Youwei alive!"

"Launch Northern Expedition against Shuntian and capture Kang Youwei alive!"

……

A roar echoed along both banks of the Yellow River.

Four thousand heavenly soldiers formed a long, winding line on the frozen surface of the Yellow River.

Cavalrymen wielding repeating lances galloped across the ice.

Meanwhile, the artillerymen who had already crossed the river set up their cannons on the north bank of the dike.

The figure of the immortal sage flew across the sky.

Equally panicked, the elite Manchu bannermen rushed towards the riverbank, disregarding the chaos in Henan. In fact, they were the ones who had truly wreaked havoc on Henan over the past two months. Around Kaifeng, these staunch peasants acted like bandits, burning, killing, and looting under the guise of suppressing rebels. Not only ordinary people, but even women from gentry families could be dragged into military camps, likely to emerge dead.

They were above the law because the loyalists were not bound by the law and local officials had no right to govern them; only the internal laws of the Eight Banners had the right to govern them.

They essentially possess extraterritorial rights.

Not to mention now, even in the late Qing Dynasty, it was the same.

One major reason for the purge of the Eight Banners garrison in Fuzhou at the end of the Qing Dynasty was the immense public resentment. The Banners blocked the city's traffic, and people would be exploited for weddings and funerals if they passed through the area. There were even instances where people were killed but only a sheep was offered as compensation.

I even lost a donkey back in the Yuan Dynasty!

They become sheep.

When later generations of bondservants protested on their behalf, they avoided mentioning this matter.

Since they are not bound by law, and Brother Ma tacitly allows them to plunder, why not have some fun?

But it’s different now!

Now these demons are heading to the capital, to their lair. Once they get there, their families will be in trouble. Putting themselves in their shoes, they know how others will treat them, just as they treat others. Under these circumstances, the elite Manchu Eight Banners troops finally showed some of their ancestral spirit, galloping forward on horseback with muskets at their ready.

On the open plains along the Yellow River, more than two thousand elite Manchu troops from the Eight Banners formed a surging tide.

The galloping warhorses kicked up clouds of dust.

then……

A few sparks flickered on the embankment.

Then came the whistling of bullets cutting through the sky.

As bullets struck, the elite Manchu Eight Banners soldiers fell from their horses one after another, trampled over by their comrades who couldn't dodge in time.

Fortunately, they still possessed some courage, so they did not stop. On horseback, they continued forward, pushing forward with all their might, trying to reach a distance where their muskets could fire. But the whistling bullets seemed endless, whistling through them and reaping one Manchu elite after another. Because the distance was too great, they could hardly even see what it was; all they could see were the smoke and the flashes of fire within the smoke.

Then came the bullets whizzing past.

They forged ahead.

Iron hooves thundered, the earth trembled, and the cavalry's charge was unstoppable.

But fewer and fewer people are there.

Bullets whistled through the air, piercing the bodies of elite Manchu soldiers and severing their limbs. Blood and flesh splattered from their bodies, and their warhorses, also struck by bullets, fell one after another.

charge!

Keep charging.

The distance is constantly shrinking.

However, the formation of the elite Manchu Eight Banners troops looked increasingly sparse.

Behind them, in the yellow earth, lay a long stretch of dead bodies and wounded soldiers.

When the last hundred or so Manchu elites finally saw the weapons they were facing, there were already corpses strewn all around them. They stared blankly at the dozens of strange weapons lined up on the Yellow River embankment, the six tubes tied together, continuously spewing flames and smoke. Then, they too fell to the ground, their flesh and blood splattering as bullets whizzed past.

Among the corpses, an elite Manchu soldier from the Eight Banners struggled to stand up, but then countless bullets struck him and pierced his body, causing him to fall down again like a lump of rotten flesh.

Yan Xin trembled as he watched his two thousand Manchu bannermen troops be wiped out in the distance.

They didn't even manage to fire a single bullet at the enemy.

Of course, what Yanxin didn't know was that the opposing side had a full forty divine cannons.

Forty machine guns.

Even with a rate of fire of less than 200, it still fires nearly 8,000 bullets per minute.

Of course, Yanxin couldn't escape either.

Because on the riverbank not far from him, a troop of heavenly cavalry was already charging towards him. The bondservant beside him immediately went to meet the attack and protected him so that he could escape as quickly as possible. But unfortunately, when these bondservant bravely charged towards the heavenly soldiers, the latter stopped and raised his rapid-fire spear, then unleashed a barrage of bullets like a storm, and all the bondservant fell down.

Moreover, these heavenly soldiers did not continue the pursuit, but instead dismounted, lay on their saddles, and aimed at Yanxin. Immediately afterwards, there was another burst of gunfire.

Chase?
Bullets are faster than horses.

Although the optimal operating distance for the Henry lever-action rifle is around 100 meters, that doesn't mean that's its only effective range.

Even at its weakest, it's still a rifled gun.

Within 500 meters, they still had a certain degree of accuracy. With nearly a hundred such rifles firing volleys at Yanxin, who was only 400 or 500 meters away, a few shots were bound to hit him. As a result, the unfortunate Yanxin and the last few guards beside him fell off their horses.

At that very moment, the Immortal Venerable descended from the sky.

"I have descended to the mortal realm by the decree of the Jade Emperor to expel the Tartars, sweep away the filth, and seize the Imperial Seal to establish a new ruler. This northern expedition is to follow the will of Heaven. Wherever we pass, ordinary people and soldiers who do not receive the salary or honors from the Qing demons will be righteous citizens if they cut off their queues to welcome us. Those who refuse to cut off their queues will be Qing demons. You may choose your own fate!"

Yang Feng looked at the Green Standard Army soldiers and civilians kneeling before him.

The latter looked at each other in alarm.

These people had already knelt in welcome. The Qing army's crushing defeat outside Kaifeng had already told them to prepare to welcome the imperial army. This desperate, almost suicidal, resistance by the elite Manchu Eight Banners troops further confirmed that the outcome was no longer in doubt. Not only ordinary people, but even the gentry in Fengqiu City were preparing wine and meat to reward the imperial army. Of course, if the Manchu Eight Banners troops won the resistance, they could also say that they were rewarding the government troops.

They are all intelligent people. They know how to make wise choices when necessary.

The problem is, of course, it doesn't matter if they kneel to welcome them; at worst, they can say they were forced to do it. A truly wise and benevolent ruler will understand them, and one who doesn't understand them is definitely not a wise and benevolent ruler.

But cutting off the braid...

Then there's no way out!
"Since you are a Qing demon, then don't blame me for killing you on behalf of Heaven."

Yang Feng shouted.

The next moment, an energy blade appeared in his hand, instantly slicing across the heads of several Green Standard Army soldiers, whose heads immediately fell off. The Green Standard Army soldiers nearby snapped to attention, raising their blades without hesitation and, disregarding the cuts to their scalps, severing their scalps of the "money rat tails" (a type of rat-like tail). Then the common people also realized what was happening and quickly gathered around the Green Standard Army soldiers, letting them cut their heads off. After all, given the situation, it was hard to say what would become of the Qing Dynasty; cutting their heads off early meant they could surrender to the new dynasty sooner.

"Immortal Venerable, he is Qingyao Scholar."

Suddenly, several people pointed at someone cutting off their braid and shouted.

The latter immediately panicked.

"Don't slander me out of thin air. I'm not a scholar at all."

He shouted anxiously.

"Since he is a scholar, then we should consider this a different matter."

Yang Feng said in a friendly tone.

The scholar's eyes lit up, and he quickly crawled forward a few steps.

"Immortal, I was flustered and misspoke. I am indeed a scholar."

He said.

"It's not that being a scholar is unacceptable; as long as one cuts off their queue, it signifies their renunciation of the Qing demons. However, Confucian scholars, who study the classics, should understand the greater principles and are incomparable to those who do not study. Yet, they willingly accept the Qing demons' honors, which is a desecration of the sages. In the Heavenly Realm, I am friends with Confucius and Mencius. Since you are all disciples of Confucius and Mencius, it is my responsibility to regulate you."

It needs to be rectified.

Otherwise, it would be unsightly for Confucius and Mencius, two old friends, on the surface of the heavens.

You should naturally no longer accept the titles and honors bestowed upon you by the Qing demons. Similarly, the stipends and tax exemptions given to you by the Qing demons are like stolen goods and should be returned to the government to prove your innocence.

In addition, a "Record of Awakening from Delusion" must be signed to demonstrate remorse.

Yang Feng said.

As he spoke, he actually pulled out a copy of the "Great Righteousness Awakening Record".

The cover prominently displays the names of Confucius and Mencius, indicating that they felt ashamed in Heaven because Confucian scholars had sided with the Qing demons. Therefore, taking advantage of Yang Xianzun's descent to the mortal realm, they entrusted Yang Xianzun to rectify the situation. To clarify the greater good, they specifically explained the rules Confucian scholars should follow and how to respond to foreign invasions—essentially a reinterpretation. According to this "Record of Awakening from Delusion," my current theories can be largely overturned. In reality, they were merely interpretations of the classics by Confucian scholars to cater to the rulers. Some of the blame should not be placed on Confucius and Mencius.

“Take him away, lock him up and make one hundred copies, each with his name on it. Then he can distribute them to the students, keep one copy at the government office, and let his family pay all the dues before releasing him.”

Yang Feng said to the soldier beside him.

The latter immediately held the scholar down, then stuffed the Great Righteousness Awakening Record into his arms, and took him away like that.

Scholar...

The scholar was completely bewildered.

After all, his brain, hard-earned from years of studying, couldn't easily comprehend Yang Feng's thought process.

"Pass down the order that all scholars shall follow this example."

Yang Feng then spoke to the attendants who were following him.

These attendants were young men who were selected to be literate and serve as his advisors. In reality, they would become real officials in the future. After all, this model was only an emergency measure. To truly establish a bureaucratic system, it would be necessary to gradually cultivate such individuals.

Then, amidst a sea of ​​heads with their braids cut off and many with their scalps torn open, he walked toward Fengqiu County.

And behind him followed a long and impressive procession.

As for the Qing army lying dead on the ground, that was the responsibility of the militia who followed them across the river. After the Heavenly Army was formed, the young men who had been militarized were renamed militia. They had just seized the weapons of tens of thousands of Qing soldiers, and now with the addition of these Manchu Eight Banners elites, they were actually over-armed.

There was little pressure in defending Kaifeng, and many of the people who had fled earlier had actually returned. Even the people in the surrounding areas who could not bear the Qing army's ravages had flocked to Kaifeng for refuge.

It's not just about defending the city.

At this point, the militia had already begun their offensive outwards.

The Qing army's massive collapse left several surrounding counties essentially undefended, allowing the Kaifeng militia to simply take over. In fact, the Green Standard Army's rout was unstoppable, and they likely wouldn't stop until they reached major cities like Luoyang and Guide. The more chaotic the situation, the safer they were, because the more chaotic the situation, the more Ma Ge needed them to maintain his rule over Henan, and therefore dared not punish them. Even if Ma Ge knew they were acting intentionally, he had to appease them to continue following the Qing. Otherwise, they might switch allegiance to the Celestial Emperor. In short, Ma Ge, you decide. Driven by this mentality, the Green Standard Army deliberately handed over Kaifeng, and even the entire Kaifeng prefecture, to the Heavenly Army.

The militia recruited from outside were also governed by the rules designed by Yang Feng. Ordinary Green Standard Army soldiers and civilians simply had to cut off their queues, while scholars had to copy the "Great Righteousness Awakening Record" and hand it over to the Qing government, even if they didn't receive any money or rations; the tax exemptions counted. Exempting them from taxes was equivalent to increasing the income of ordinary people; in other words, the Qing government was using the money and rations of ordinary people to subsidize them. Therefore, it was only natural that they had to hand it over to the ordinary people.

As for those who passed the imperial examinations, became Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest level of the imperial examinations), or became officials, it was a different story.

In front of the city gate of Fengqiu County.

"Copy the house!"

Yang Feng looked at the local gentry kneeling in welcome and said.

"Immortal Lord, we are willing to hand over the demon-slaying stipends we have received over the years!"

An old villager said anxiously.

"Did you only receive your salary as an official?"

Yang Feng sneered.

The old man, Huan, was speechless.

"Don't talk to me about salaries. Which of you officials relies on salaries? Which of you didn't rely on extorting the people? A clean prefect can earn 100,000 taels of silver in three years. All your current vast wealth was obtained by extorting the people. You think you can fool me by handing over that little bit of salary? Confiscate all your property. Anyone who dares to obstruct will be killed. Confiscate the land and let the original farmers continue to cultivate it at one-tenth of the rent."

Yang Feng shouted.

The people around him were stunned.

Immediately following was a wave of joyful weeping and prostration.

In fact, this was the same tactic used by Zhu Yuanzhang in the early Ming Dynasty. He confiscated the land owned by gentry under various pretexts and then handed it over to farmers to cultivate as official land. The farmers bore the equivalent of 10% of the heavy taxes but did not have to pay rent to the landlords, while Zhu Yuanzhang could increase his income.

There are no middlemen taking a cut.

He and the farmers were very satisfied.

Yang Feng followed suit.

Of course, those gentry who had originally planned to welcome the victorious army were dumbfounded.

"Demon, you demon!"

An elderly villager, clearly on the verge of collapse, wailed, his lips trembling.

Then, the next moment, his head hit the ground.

"Remember, kill his entire family, men and women alike."

Yang Feng said.

His attendant quickly took notes.

(End of this chapter)