The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 227 Chen Daiyun

Hearing Yaotiandong's words, Huanglong was both amused and exasperated:

"Big brother, you know what kind of personality our third sister has, don't you?"

"Given her temperament, do you think she'd easily agree to a marriage alliance?"

Shaking the sky and glaring:

"Why wouldn't you agree? I'm doing this for her own good!"

"Look at her, she's already twenty-three and still not thinking about getting married. All she does is brandish knives and guns all day long. What kind of behavior is that?"

As he spoke, Yao Tiandong sighed, and his tone softened:

“Although we are just sworn siblings, as the older brother, I can’t just push her into a fire pit, can I?”

“Renlong’an’s family is large and powerful, with strong troops and horses. Compared to us, who are fighting for food in the mountains, they are far better off.”

"Besides, she organized that martial arts contest to find a husband, saying she wanted to select heroes and valiant men as husbands, but who doesn't know what she really meant?"

"She just looks down on us brothers from the mountain stronghold; none of us are good enough for her!"

"Now, isn't this a true hero?"

Huang Long thought about it and agreed that it made sense.
"Alright, I'll go and try to talk to her."

"But I can't guarantee it."

Huang Long was still not very optimistic about the matter. His third sister, Chen Daiyun, was a woman of strong opinions and probably wouldn't agree so easily.

Chen Daiyun was a native of Nanjiang County, Baoning Prefecture. Although she was a woman, her father was a migrant worker.

Her father, Chen Fang, was the head of a theatrical troupe, but not the one that involved singing and performing; rather, it was a martial arts troupe.

They mainly traveled the world, performing tricks like breaking large stones on their chests, swallowing swords, and performing hard qigong in markets, open spaces, or temple fairs in various places.

Chen Daiyun followed her father around the country from a young age, and under his influence, she also learned martial arts. She originally thought that she would take over her father's martial arts troupe in the future.

But before the results could be seen, after the new emperor ascended the throne, the taxes became heavier day by day, and the people of northern Sichuan suffered greatly.

Often, after a whole day of huffing and puffing, the tips a troupe receives aren't even enough to cover the cost of meals for dozens of people.

Seeing that even making a living was becoming a problem, Chen Fang originally wanted to disband the opera troupe and have everyone go their separate ways.

But misfortune never comes singly; a member of an official family took a fancy to Chen Daiyun.

This family was quite influential; the highest-ranking member of their family held the position of Provincial Administration Commissioner of Sichuan Province, a fourth-rank official.

In Sichuan, they have both power and wealth.

The one who wanted to take a concubine was none other than his beloved son, who was involved in politics.

At a temple fair, this young master saw Chen Daiyun, who was dashing and agile, on the stage. He was immediately amazed and insisted on taking her into his household.

If someone had been sent to act as matchmaker and given enough money, the matter might have been settled.

But the son of this political advisor, relying on the family's power, refused to pay a single penny and even sent several wicked servants to forcibly rob them at their door.

Chen Daiyun's father had spent half his life wandering the martial arts world; how could he possibly tolerate such humiliation?

He immediately led his disciples, drew their knives and clubs, and drove away all the wicked servants who had come to their door.

This is a huge problem.

The yamen runners of Nanjiang County mobilized and arrested Chen Daiyun's father, throwing him into prison. They then severed his tendons and tortured him to death.

The entire martial arts troupe was also issued arrest warrants by the government, and wanted persons were sent everywhere.

Left with no other choice, Chen Daiyun led his father's remaining apprentices to the Dabashan Mountains to become outlaws.

Later, she met Yao Tiandong, Huang Long and others who were also driven to desperation by the government. They became sworn siblings and officially raised the banner of rebellion against the Ming Dynasty.

Huang Long walked out of the county government office and headed straight for a small, detached courtyard in the northwest corner of the county town.

Before he could even step inside, he heard a series of clanging metal sounds coming from the courtyard, along with a woman's clear shout.

He shook his head helplessly and pushed open the courtyard gate.

In the courtyard, two women dressed in military uniforms, with their hair tied up and waists bound, were engaged in a fierce fight.

One of them was Chen Daiyun, and the one who fought her was her personal maid, Chen Fang, an orphan adopted by her father.

Huang Long stood outside the courtyard gate with great interest, watching the two fight inside the courtyard.

Holding a staff that reached her eyebrows, Chen Fang slashed and parried left and right, attacking Chen Daiyun's vital points.

Despite being in the center of the stick's shadow, Chen Daiyun remained calm and composed, her movements agile like a drifting red leaf, constantly dodging and weaving, easily avoiding the maid's stick.

She carried two short knives in her hands, which gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Just as the maid was momentarily stunned, Chen Daiyun suddenly ducked down, like a cat, and instantly snuggled into her arms.

The two swords in his hands were like two venomous snakes emerging from their holes. One sword pointed upwards, and the back of the blade struck the opponent's wrist precisely, causing his wrist to go numb and making him unable to hold the long stick anymore.
The other blade silently rested across the other person's fair neck.

The whole process was smooth and fluid, with the transition between movement and stillness happening in the blink of an eye.

The maid Chen Fang felt a numbness in her wrist and a chill on her neck. By the time she realized what was happening, the cold blade was already pressed against her skin.

Chen Daiyun sheathed his short sword, a sly smile appearing on his face.

She wore a fiery red, tight-fitting military uniform that perfectly accentuated her curvaceous and powerful figure.

Her long, jet-black hair was neatly tied into a bun, revealing a bright and beautiful oval face.

The skin on his neck has a healthy wheat color due to years of martial arts training.

Chen Daiyun was not as gentle and refined as a lady from a prominent family, but she possessed a unique charm that was both heroic and awe-inspiring, making people dare not look directly at her.

The two men, who were in the middle of a fierce fight, stopped when they saw Huang Long approaching.

Chen Daiyun sheathed his twin swords at his waist, wiped the sweat from his brow, and walked towards Huanglong:

"Second brother, what brings you here to your little sister?"

"Come inside and have a cup of tea."

Seeing her like this, Huang Long felt increasingly uncertain. He stammered for a long time, unsure of where to begin.

Chen Daiyun, being straightforward, couldn't help but laugh when he saw his expression:
"Second Brother, please speak freely if you have something to say."

"We are siblings, why be so hesitant?"

Huang Long gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and told the whole story.

"That's right, Third Sister. You probably already know that a group of our colleagues have come from Baizhang Pass."

"This group of people are rebels from Long'an Prefecture. Their purpose in coming here is probably to attack Nanjiang."

"Unexpectedly, we took over Nanjiang County first."

Chen Daiyun nodded:

"Is Second Brother worried that they might clash with us?"

"But we were all fighting under the banner of opposing the Ming Dynasty, and we didn't have any prior conflicts."

"Even if these people are unreasonable, they shouldn't just start hitting me right away, right?"

As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.

Huang Long shook his head and said with a wry smile:
"Third sister, you're wrong."

"It's true that these people are powerful outsiders, but we can hardly be considered local bullies."

"According to the brothers who brought the news, this group of soldiers are well-trained and well-armored. They broke through Baizhang Pass in less than a day. They are simply no match for the government troops."

“Now, they are heading towards Nanjiang County, and your elder brother intends to submit.”

"He heard that the leader of Long'an Prefecture was surnamed Jiang and had never married, so..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Daiyun's brows furrowed instantly:

"So you want me to submit to him?"

Her voice instantly turned cold.

"Second brother, I considered you my sworn brothers, but you're about to sell your little sister off?"

Looking at his third sister's pretty face, Huang Long felt guilty and didn't know how to speak for a moment.

"Don't marry!"

Chen Daiyun said firmly,

"My father's death is still avenged; how can I easily marry and become a wife and mother?!"

Huang Long also became anxious and quickly advised:
"Third Sister, you're wrong about that!"

"In my opinion, the only way to avenge your father is through him!"

"If our group wants to storm Chengdu and kill that councilor, it might take forever."

"In the end, we're just a bunch of wandering swordsmen, how can we compare to the people of Long'an Prefecture?"

"He commands tens of thousands of troops; that's a true hero!"

Chen Daiyun turned his head to the side and snorted coldly:
"If he's a true hero, then let him step onto my stage and we'll have a martial arts contest to find him a wife!"

"If you can beat me, I won't hesitate!"

Huang Long was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this.
"Third sister, your martial arts contest to choose a husband is just like child's play."

"You're allowed to use two swords, but no one else is allowed to use weapons. What kind of logic is that?"

"Which hero in the world reigns supreme in the arena?"

“My brother and I both know that you just want to use this method to avoid trouble from the leaders of other mountain strongholds.”

"Now that your older brother has shown you a clear path, you should at least take a look before making a decision."

Huang Long spent half an hour in the courtyard trying to persuade Chen Daiyun, but no matter how much he tried, Chen Daiyun still wouldn't agree.

Finally, unable to dissuade his second brother, he could only agree to go and see the troops from Long'an Prefecture before making a decision.

Three days later, Dong Erzhu and his group of two thousand men finally arrived outside Nanjiang County. Yao Tiandong, Huang Long, and others, who had already received the news, dared not delay and personally led the minor leaders of other mountain strongholds out of the city to welcome them.

Dong Erzhu's troops, divided into two columns, slowly approached from a distance.

Dust billowed on the official road. The first to appear were several groups of cavalry, each with five riders, scattered on both sides of the road, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

Following closely behind were two rows of infantrymen, carrying rattan shields and spears on their shoulders, their ranks neat and orderly, their spirits high.

Hundreds of cavalrymen followed closely on both flanks of the column. They rode tall horses, carried longbows at their waists, and had stern expressions.

The entire group was completely silent, with only the sound of orderly footsteps and the clanging of metal on horseback.

From afar, a chilling aura emanates from the scene.

On the city wall of Nanjiang County, a group of minor leaders of the Yellow Army were stunned by what they saw and involuntarily gasped.

Previously, they had only dealt with patrol officers and soldiers from remote and peripheral areas.

Those government troops scattered in a panic when the battle started, and were incomparable to the army in front of us.

"Goodness gracious. Are these the border troops from the Northwest?"

Yao Tiandong stood at the very front, his voice trembling slightly.

Even though he was so far away, when he saw this group of "former soldiers" wearing mandarin duck battle coats, he felt his legs go weak and his calves spin around.

Among the crowd, Chen Daiyun also had a solemn expression on her face.

With her sharp eyes, she could easily tell that this was a truly ferocious army. Their weapons and equipment could be stolen, but the coldness in their eyes was undeniable.

"General Dong, your presence is an honor. We apologize for not being able to greet you properly!"

Outside Nanjiang County, Yao Tiandong greeted them with a broad smile.

Dong Erzhu had already received a message from the envoy from Nanjiang County, so he was not surprised that the county had changed hands.

He dismounted with a smile and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:
"Not at all, thank you for your trouble, Boss."

Yao Tiandong hurriedly said:

"The county government has prepared a feast with wine and food. Please come in, General Dong, so we can eat and chat."

Although they were nominally a rebel army, Dong Erzhu still maintained a degree of vigilance:
"No need for food and drink, I brought my own cooks."

"I'm a bit tired from the long journey. I'll rest for the night. We can discuss everything tomorrow."

Since things had come to this point, Yao Tiandong couldn't very well refuse.
"No problem. There is a training ground outside the county seat where your army can set up camp."

Dong Erzhu nodded after hearing this, and then signaled his commander Qin Chong to lead his men into the city.

Qin Chong understood, selected two sentries, and swaggered into Nanjiang County.

The soldiers of Yao Tiandong and his men dared not stop them and could only let these "outsiders" take over the defense of the city wall.

After confirming that it was safe, Qin Chong sent someone to inform Dong Erzhu that the army could enter the city to rest.

Such domineering behavior naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of some leaders.

But under the signal of the earthquake, no one dared to make any rash moves and could only watch helplessly as Dong Erzhu's troops entered Nanjiang County.

The next day, inside the county government office of Nanjiang County.

Dong Erzhu sat down in the main seat without hesitation, while the leaders of Yaohuang sat on either side of the hall.

Chen Daiyun changed into a dark military uniform and mingled among them.

Although she didn't lead troops into battle much, she was nominally the third-in-command of the Yellow Army, so no one objected to her attending such an event.

Her main purpose for this trip was to see for herself what kind of people came from Long'an Prefecture.

Dong Erzhu, sitting at the head of the table, naturally noticed Chen Daiyun, but he didn't pay much attention to him.

The social atmosphere in the late Ming Dynasty was relatively open.

Although women were nominally bound by etiquette and moral principles by the government, they still held a pivotal position in actual production and daily life.

In the prosperous Jiangnan region, there were quite a few women who went out to do business and make a living in the public eye.

In the fields and in the vast rural areas, women are an indispensable part of the workforce.

Dong Erzhu glanced at Chen Daiyun twice before getting straight to the point:

"Gentlemen, Nanjiang County is located in a strategic location, and it must be brought under the control of our army no matter what."

"I'll point out two options for you leaders. One is to disband here and come under the jurisdiction of my Long'an Prefecture. My commander will distribute land and guarantee you a life free from want."

"Secondly, we will break up their organization and bring them under our command."

Upon hearing this, the leaders present stirred up a commotion.

To be honest, although they came from humble backgrounds, they are now leaders of a local stronghold, managing dozens or even hundreds of people.

No one wants to give up their power and go back to being a farmer toiling in the fields.

Yao Tiandong hurriedly asked:
"General Dong, what are the rules for this surrender?"
Please elaborate.

Dong Erzhu glanced at everyone in the hall and slowly explained:
"It's simple. You can register as many of you as possible who want to join the army."

"However, they must first undergo our army's assessment, and only those who pass can join the army."

"After surrendering, everyone had to be dispersed and reorganized into the army."

“A capable leader can start by managing auxiliary troops and gradually climb up the ranks.”

After hearing Dong Erzhu's words, everyone fell silent and looked at each other in bewilderment.

They are now in charge, so asking them to start from the bottom as auxiliary soldiers is no different from humiliating them.
But these people didn't realize that Dong Erzhu was simply stating the facts and had no intention of humiliating them.

In his view, the fighting ability of this group was almost negligible.

Even if you want to join the army, you have to start from the most basic militia position, let alone directly command elite troops in combat.

Looking at the chaotic scene inside the hall, Dong Erzhu frowned deeply:
"Leaders, please speak frankly."

"Stop stammering down there."

After waiting for a long time, someone finally couldn't help but step forward.

"Hmph! You bunch of people are so arrogant!"

"This Nanjiang County was captured by us brothers who risked our lives!"

Why should we give up just because you open your mouth?

The speaker was Wan Chang, the leader of a small faction within the Yaohuang Army.

This man was originally a porter, and since the rebellion, he has unconsciously developed an arrogant and domineering attitude.

"In my opinion, you are nothing but a bunch of thugs!"

"What kind of bullshit rebel army are you pretending to be!"

Upon hearing this, Dong Erzhu's eyes narrowed instantly, and he was just about to speak.

Before he could even speak, Qin Chong, the commander behind him, couldn't hold back any longer.

"presumptuous!"

"Are you fucking tired of living?! How dare you talk to Boss Dong like that?!"

"Believe it or not, I'll chop you up with one stroke!"

As he spoke, Qin Chong took a step forward and used his burly body to knock Wan Chang to the ground.

He twisted his right wrist, wrapping the rope at the end of the knife around his hand, and then used his thumb to push the knife out of the scabbard an inch, ready to draw it at any moment and chop down this insolent bastard.

Yao Tiandong, Huang Long, and the others were startled by what they saw and quickly stepped in to smooth things over, constantly speaking up for Wan Chang.

Dong Erzhu didn't want to appear too domineering.

He killed a minor leader as soon as he arrived; it's a bit too arrogant of him to talk about it.

So he waved his hand:
"Fine, for the sake of the two leaders, Yao and Huang, spare his life for now."

"Everyone, go back and think about it carefully."

“My commander will never mistreat brothers who have truly submitted to him.”

Among the crowd, only Chen Daiyun remained silent throughout, simply watching the scene unfold.

After the parliamentary session ended, she found Huang Long and got straight to the point:
"Second brother, I don't want to go to Baizhang Pass, and I don't want to marry that Jiang guy!"

Huang Long was taken aback:
"My dear third sister, why is this happening?"

Chen Daiyun recounted the minor conflict that occurred at the county government office today:
"These people are so arrogant and domineering. That subordinate of the Dong family is willing to draw his knife and kill someone at the slightest disagreement."

"The person who can lead this group out is probably no good either."

But Huang Long shook his head:

"Third sister, you are mistaken."

"Let me tell you, people aren't afraid of being arrogant, they're afraid of being incompetent."

"In our past experiences navigating the world, have you ever met a truly capable person who was always timid and subservient?"

"Only those incompetent cowards would keep bowing and scraping to people."

He said earnestly,

"We are in a chaotic world right now, and it's all about who has the strongest fist and the fastest knife."

"That Qin Chong, although domineering, judging from his aura and skills, he must have crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood."

"With such a valiant general, we can win battles and survive."

"In my opinion, Third Sister, you should come with us to Baizhang Pass and see Jiang Han for yourself."

"When the time comes, you can decide whether it's a dragon or a worm after you've seen it with your own eyes."

(End of this chapter)