Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 172 Immortals and Demons

Under the personal escort of Yang Xianzun, the prison cart procession continued south.

As for the Heavenly Army's Northern Expedition, it really didn't need the Celestial Venerable to personally oversee it; in fact, the Heavenly Army had already become a supporting character.

The jubilant crowd took care of things themselves.

While the imperial troops were still in Anyang, Handan had already fallen to the returning populace from Cheqi Pass. Following this, Guangping Prefecture was overwhelmed by the surging crowds. The prefect, who hastily proclaimed his intention to abandon the darkness and embrace the light, was hanged on the city gate due to overwhelming public anger. On the same day that Guangping Prefecture fell to the rebellious populace, the prefect of Daming Prefecture fled in panic, but he too was caught in a massacre. While fleeing towards Dongchang Prefecture, he encountered a group of able-bodied men heading to the prefecture to join in the commotion and was dragged back…

Of course, it was being dragged behind a donkey.

The demonized area eventually spread to Shandong.

Fortunately, the Shandong governor personally led the Green Standard Army to Dongchang to take charge, and also requested a cavalry unit from the Eight Banners garrison in Qingzhou to suppress the unruly people in Dongchang for the time being.

However, while he controlled the north, he failed to control the south. The Caozhou Green Standard Army, facing the Second Army of the Heavenly Army on its eastern expedition, abandoned the gentry who were crying and begging them not to leave without hesitation, and then fled to Jining at top speed.

As for the Second Heavenly Army, it was a second Heavenly Army that Yang Feng armed with the same equipment, but it did not recruit soldiers from the Kaifeng militia.

Instead, it refers to places like Weihui on the north bank of the Yellow River.

There was actually a third army, which recruited soldiers from Luoyang.

These organizations are all army units, but the actual troop strength is at the brigade level. Then, these brigades with combat experience are used to expand and fill the entire army.

Battalions expand into brigades, and brigades expand into armies.

The militia were responsible for local defense, while the heavenly army was responsible for outward attacks.

It spread from the Central Plains to all directions.

As for their logistics...

They don't actually need much logistics support.

In this mode, food is not a concern, since they can basically eat and drink along the way. The civilians who lead the way for the heavenly soldiers will take care of these small matters for them. The only thing to consider is ammunition, but in reality, they don't need much ammunition at all. To date, the heavenly soldiers on the Northern Expedition have not even used up the basic ammunition they carried when they set off from Kaifeng.

It really won't take much.

Those cavalrymen actually engaged in the most battles, but some of them still haven't run out of bullets.

They usually carried ten volleys of bullets, or 160 rounds, but the problem was that the battles along the way didn't allow them to use up a volley.

As a result, rumors circulated within the Qing army that their guns had an inexhaustible supply of bullets.

As for the infantry, there were no real battles along the way; at most, they cheered on the people. Usually, they would fire a few shots with their cannons and muskets from the outside, and then the people leading the way would open the city gates and rush in with the help of the people inside the city. The gentry did not put up much resistance; the disparity in strength was too great. Not resisting would only result in the loss of land and a small amount of gold and silver, but resisting could mean losing everything.

Show it off!
Slacking off would result in less loss.

Another point, which is something Yang Feng benefited from, is that those gentry who dared to resist were all killed by the Qing Dynasty back then. The remaining gentry are basically those who were selected by the Qing Dynasty to be sensible. They didn't resist the Eight Banners officials back then, so of course they have even less courage to resist the Heavenly Army now. The Heavenly Army's rules did indeed enrage them, but the problem is that the Eight Banners officials were also in a land grabbing spree back then. The Heavenly Army at most wanted land, while the Eight Banners officials wanted everything.

Gold and silver, women, and even men want them.

After all, there still needs to be slaves.

What they truly could not tolerate was that the heavenly soldiers did not acknowledge their achievements, but even that was not unbearable.

After all, their greatest strength is patience.

Furthermore, it's not that we would never use them for official positions, but rather that we would not acknowledge their academic achievements. After all, their level of education is what it is. Any normal ruler would not refuse to use them. Why would they refuse to use those well-read and learned people instead of those peasants?
Will they become government officials?

Do they know how to manage a city?

At that time, we will still have to find gentry, Confucian scholars, and scions of aristocratic families. It's the same in any dynasty, and even barbarians and nomads are not exempt from this.

They are confident enough in this, so all they need to do is be patient.

Meanwhile, the craftsmen in Kaifeng have begun reloading bullets using recycled cartridge cases. They are manufacturing the gunpowder themselves according to the technology provided by Yang Feng, and they are also making the bullets themselves. After all, they are made of lead, so as long as they are cast, it doesn't matter if the tolerances are large. There are plenty of women and children who can grind them one by one with whetstones. However, the mercury fulminate primer needs to be provided by Yang Feng. This substance requires nitric acid. Although it is still quite rudimentary, it is still somewhat difficult for the craftsmen to handle at present.

However, it's not impossible.

After all, materials like mercury, alcohol, and saltpeter are available. Theoretically, with enough technology and continuous experimentation, it is possible to manufacture it; it's just a matter of taking some risks.

But for Yang Feng, there was no need to rush such a trivial matter that could be resolved with a simple gesture.

We need to find at least some people who have received some education and have basic scientific knowledge before we can begin this step.

Therefore, the important thing is the new-style schools in various places. This started from the very beginning. As for the textbooks used, he also had them; he just had that so-called "god" airdrop them and then print them. Of course, they were all scientific.

As for the conflict between science and his existence, it is easy to resolve. In fact, the so-called God has already solved this problem. His theory of divine pronouncements explains this coexistence flawlessly because he directly throws it into the realm of parallel universes. This world is scientific, but this world is just one of countless parallel universes, and these parallel universes are all derived from a single point, which is the celestial realm.

Therefore, we should not consider the issue of its unscientific nature.

He is equivalent to a higher-dimensional being.

People in this world may pursue science, but science is a form of spiritual practice for ordinary people.

Of course, there is another theoretical system that comes with it, a theoretical system that even Yang Feng thinks is a bit excessive, in order to explain human relationships in this world.

Therefore, science and its unscientific aspects are not in conflict.

The Celestial Venerable has descended.

Now, in the new schools in Kaifeng, the students are learning basic science while chanting that the immortals will live as long as the heavens.

The prison van moved forward amidst the onlookers of people from all over the north bank of the Yellow River, and then made a special detour to Huaiqing, which had just been transformed into a fairyland.

The Qing dynasty called it demonic transformation, while the common people called it immortal transformation. Although the terminology was a bit funny, they were genuinely serious about it.

Finally, the prison cart crossed the river at Mengjin and went to Luoyang, then headed east from Luoyang to Kaifeng, and from Kaifeng it continued south along the Yellow River.

Spring had already arrived.

Fortunately, Yang Feng no longer needed to worry about Ma Ge digging up the Yellow River and flooding Kaifeng. At this point, the most dangerous section of the river, from Mengjin to Tongwaxiang, was entirely under the control of the militia, who had even begun reinforcing the riverbanks. Even if Ma Ge really wanted to, he wouldn't have the ability. The Qing army currently only controlled up to Guide. Suizhou was abandoned by the Green Standard Army due to a civil uprising within the city and the arrival of the Kaifeng militia. Guide, however, was still temporarily resisting the militia because the gentry led by the Song family were still powerful.

Moreover, they repeatedly repelled the militia.

In reality, the militia lacked the ability to attack cities. Unless the people inside the city rose up and cooperated with them from within, it would be very difficult for the militia to conquer the city.

Guide, as a place where many prominent families in Henan gathered, had a number of powerful gentry, especially the Song family, which can be said to be one of the main contributors to the Qing Dynasty's entry into the Central Plains. They had produced three generations of famous ministers of the Qing Dynasty. Song Luo was highly valued by Ma Ge, and Ma Ge even stayed at his house when he went to the south of the Yangtze River. Now, he is almost eighty years old and has to drag his old body to Guide to hold the gate of the Jianghuai region for Ma Ge.

Ma Ge used Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan as examples to encourage him.

They even just appointed him Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, elevated his status to the Plain Yellow Banner, and promoted all his sons who were serving as officials outside the capital.

and so……

Return to virtue.

"Sinner Song Luo respectfully welcomes the Immortal Venerable."

With my white hair, I, Song Luo, the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince of the Great Qing Dynasty, knelt before the city gate and kowtowed tremblingly.

On the official road before him, prison carts holding the descendants of Dodo were lined up in a row. On both sides of the carts were cavalrymen on horseback carrying lances, and above them, golden-armored gods looked down upon all living beings.

Behind Song Luo, all the major gentry in Guide City knelt down in fear.

Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan would definitely not do it; each of them was wealthy and powerful, capable of hosting the emperor. How could they possibly give that up so easily? Even if Song Luo wanted to be loyal to Ma Ge, he had to consider his descendants. He was indeed nearly eighty and only lacked death, but his descendants still needed to enjoy wealth and honor. Although his sons were all serving as officials elsewhere, his grandsons and great-grandsons were all in Guide. Ma Ge's revenge would at most kill one or two of his sons, but if he didn't surrender, all his descendants would die. He wouldn't do anything foolish on this issue.

Although surrendering means handing over land, for a family of Song's stature, land is no longer the most important thing. The industry and commerce they control alone are enough to ensure that their descendants continue to live in wealth and luxury.

The same was true for the other gentry, of course.

Be a loyal subject of the Qing Dynasty...

What's the point of a loyal minister whose entire family dies?
"Is the Yuan Keli clan still alive?"

Yang Feng said.

The few scholars at the back of the gentry, who were clearly of low status, raised their heads in bewilderment.

It's clear that the once-prominent family in Guide is now far from what it used to be. This is mainly because Yuan Keli's son refused to surrender, and although his grandson had managed to become a prefect, he was caught up in Wu Sangui's rebellion and, fearing suspicion from Ma Ge, quickly resigned and returned home. After all, Yuan Keli was also hated by our Great Qing.

“Except for those few, kill the rest! You resisted the militia several times, and you’ve already used up your chances. Now that you see me, you’ve all come out to surrender. Do you think I’m easy to fool?”

Yang Feng said.

Immediately afterwards, the cavalrymen raised their guns.

The gentry who had been joyfully welcoming the immortal were terrified and scrambled to their feet to flee. Song Luo, however, couldn't get up; he was too old to run. Then, with the sound of gunfire, he and the other gentry fell one after another. Behind them, the common people, equally joyful in welcoming the immortal, watched calmly. Soon the gunfire ceased. Corpses littered the ground before the city gates, and the cavalry, escorting prison carts, ran over them, entering Guide amidst the cheers of the people, officially entering the area previously controlled by the Qing army.

(End of this chapter)