The Mysterious Ming Dynasty: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

"I've been promoted! Good news! I've found those men."

Cao Youyi, riding a horse with an iron spine and silver mane, jumped off the horse before even reaching the gate.

A man dressed in yellow, Ding Si, holding a halberd, greeted them at the gate.

"Oh, that is indeed good news. Jiazi led a thousand cavalry to search the reed marshes on the east bank of the Haihe River, but still found no trace of him. Unexpectedly, you have taken the lead."

"Haha, what a coincidence. When I arrived in Yongqing County, I saw birds startled in the Sanjiao Lake. I didn't think much of it at the time, but later when I turned back, I sent someone to investigate and found several women with ponytails. I guessed that was them and left their name cards."

Upon hearing this, Si Chen exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, it was hidden right under our noses!"

"It's freezing cold outside, they must be starving. Let's bring them some food."

"Yesterday, we slaughtered a yellow sheep, wrapped it in spices, roasted it, and sent it over. We also took ten bushels of hay with us."

The man in yellow robes, Ding Si, holding a halberd, nodded and withdrew.

Cao Youyi stood there, somewhat at a loss.

Si Chen presented a bowl of mithril, containing ten coins' worth of mithril steeped in honey water in a black and red lacquered bowl.

"Just sit still, don't be shy. Tell me about the reactions from the surrounding counties."

"They are only willing to provide money and food, but they are unwilling to attend the banquet, let alone form any alliance." Cao Youyi took the money with both hands, squatted down on the low stool, and got angry whenever he mentioned the surrounding counties.

"It's alright, someone will teach them a lesson."

Cao Youyi held the black and red lacquered bowl in his hand, looked at the mithril inside, and drank it all in one gulp. "There's one more thing. The emperor has dismissed me from my post."

Si Chen opened his eyes, stared at Cao Youyi, and slowly spoke.

"It's alright, no fool would come here to cause trouble."

"I have here the Elite Cavalry, Dragon and Tiger, Tiger Warriors, Divine Strategy, Leopard Warriors, Flying Bears, Eagle Soaring... a total of thirty-six paths. Do you have a preference?"

"If you like the White Horse Cavalry, that's fine, but you must obey orders under Jiazi."

Recalling the scenes he had witnessed over the past two days, Cao Youyi wondered, "What else is so extraordinary about these White Horse Cavalry, given their lightning-fast speed?"

"A vow must be made, otherwise all efforts will be in vain."

Use vows to gain power.

"Very well, I prefer tigers, how about Tiger Warriors?"

Si Chen laughed loudly.

"Can."

"Tiger-like warriors, advancing like tigers, fierce as tigers, cunning as monkeys, brave as leopards and dragons, with ringed blades and straight handles, the guards of their swords cast with tiger patterns."

Also known as the Tiger Guards, they require a tiger as proof of their identity.

"The Duke of Cheng had intended to send me a fine tiger skin, but there has been no word of it these past few days. I went to ask him for one."

"With this as your foundation, you can reach even greater heights."

Si Chen merely cast a glance, taking in most of Cao Youyi's features.

A garrison warrior possesses the supernatural ability to don armor and summon fish-scale armor.

In addition, there is the "Sinong-Landlord" path, which arises from the consolidation of land.

Within its territory, standing on the earth, one can continuously strengthen and restore physical strength.

It can be considered a trade-off.

The land that we painstakingly acquired was reduced to its pre-liberation state in a single day.

But there's no need to worry now; just use it as a guard, and most of the time you won't have to take any risks.

If there is any real danger, it's not his place to worry about it.

"Ten torchbearers trespassed into the ghost market. My protectors captured them and took them away with me."

"Several families of Imperial Guards have arrived in the city; please keep an eye on them."

"All the original soldiers of Tianjinwei were put into the camp. Those who moved here from the capital with their families contributed one able-bodied man from each household to form a soldier, solely for the purpose of maintaining order in the city and preparing for any unforeseen events."

"Tell them that I will give priority to recruiting from among them when the army expands next time."

"Go."

After Cao Youyi left.

Si Chen then ordered the doors and windows to be closed tightly.

After bathing and changing clothes, and burning incense, I finally entered the inner realm.

The Milky Way still flows.

The Milky Way lies beneath your feet, and the sun and moon shine overhead.

The first generation of dragon descendants, the celestial official, the mind that triumphs over material things, the unity of heaven and man, and the rejection of sagehood and wisdom are bathed in the Milky Way.

The "First Generation Dragon Descendant" is the Horned Wood Dragon among the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon in the East. It is gradually awakening. The more territory it has, the stronger its awakening becomes. There is no need to delve into the details now.

The "Celestial Official" is located in the Purple Palace Enclosure, at the center of the North Celestial Pole.

People are curious about where he got his position as "Heavenly Official".

Little did he know, this was something he was born with.

The Heavenly Official bestows blessings, the Earthly Official pardons sins, and the Water Official relieves calamities.

To be more specific, the so-called "Heavenly Official" should be called the "Grand Master of Destiny, who governs the Yin and Yang realms and oversees the Nine Heavens."

He's destined for officialdom; he doesn't even need to read books.

On the celestial star where the "Grand Master of the Nine Heavens, the Principal of Yin and Yang, who patrols the two realms" resides, several lines of large characters are written in celestial script and cloud scrolls.

The twelve great demons were vanquished, and the twelve heroic spirits of the Six Ding and Six Jia were bestowed upon them as protectors.

Another line reads "Eliminate 987 evils".

It's less than a thousand; who knows what will happen then.

Si Chen turned to look at "Mind Over Matters", "Harmony Between Heaven and Man", and "Abandoning Sagehood and Wisdom", which also belonged to the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon in the East and were associated with the Heart Moon Fox.

Numerous supernatural powers are hanging in the inner scene, as conspicuous as stars.

"Reality Twist" grants him enhanced psionic powers; he is a simple, unassuming numerical monster.

"Longevity and long life" grants an exceptionally long lifespan, preventing the weakness of mortal dynasties from collapsing with the death of their rulers.

The phrase "The noble horse rejects all external forces" allows it to initially resist death, making it an incredibly powerful mechanic.

If we could reach an even higher level...

Lost in thought, Si Chen raised his hand to touch the star map.

The Three Enclosures, Four Symbols, and Twenty-Eight Mansions shone brightly, casting a ray of starlight.

A message flowed into my heart.

The idea that "the mind is superior to things" needs to be endorsed by more than 100,000 people.

The concept of "harmony between man and nature" requires the construction of a 100,000-square-kilometer "great cycle" of harmony between man and nature.

"Abandoning sagacity and discarding wisdom" requires investigating things to acquire knowledge, and refining a demon king in the inner realm.

The inner world of the human body and the outer world are interconnected. Without a corresponding great skill, it is extremely difficult to obtain a second supernatural power.

Si Chen let go, allowing him to leave.

He turned around and took a closer look at the officials with whom he had already established a relationship of ruler and subject.

The celestial river water, nurtured within the inner landscape of the Dipper, nourishes all things and seems never to dry up.

Of course, this is an illusion.

The larger the territory under rule, the more people there are who draw salaries without working and do nothing.

Moreover, it only swallows but doesn't release.

Like countless bloodsucking worms, even the largest country will eventually be drained dry.

Until he saw a pair of red stars that did not belong to his territory.

It carried a strong aura of malevolence.

"A petty thief has come."

Si Chen chuckled softly, slowly loosening his hands and letting himself soak in the Milky Way.

When he slowly opened his eyes, he was already out of that starry sky.

I immediately turned to look at the hourglass, and a grain of sand had just fallen. It turned out that only a moment had passed in the outside world.

"The interior scenery truly has endless uses."

Si Chen donned a cloak, put on silk slippers, took a step forward, and shouted.

"Someone come here!"

"Catch the thief!"

"Yes!" Dingyou in black responded and blew a bronze whistle. Dingwei in plain clothes, Dinghai in blue clothes, and Dingchou in purple clothes held the Six Ding Banners, wore golden masks, and had gilded fire bells hanging from their waists.

Whistles sounded all around, gradually reaching the citadel.

Jiazi, dressed entirely in white, held a scorching golden tortoise seal as he mounted his horse.

The drums had not yet sounded in the drill ground.

Half an hour.

The White Horse Cavalry rose silently from their positions, summoning their celestial horses and mithril leather armor. Two crescent-shaped scimitars hung from their leather belts at their waists, the Kaiyuan Bow was strung, and two quivers were strapped to their waists above the scimitars. A large quiver was also stored in front of the saddle.

"One vanguard commander and five centurions, each given five blue flags to clear the way and one command flag, to control key routes. Anyone found speaking out, wearing strange clothes, or acting suspiciously should be sent to the vanguard commander for questioning, and a messenger should be dispatched to report. No one is allowed to release or question them without authorization. Anyone carrying a weapon shall be killed!"

"When setting out, it is essential to establish a designated mark. If bandits meet, regardless of day or night, each should immediately set up their team and exchange the designated mark and waist tag to distinguish the genuine from the fake."

"The central army will follow me and wait for the opportune moment."

"If your waist tag gets hot, return to camp immediately."

"Set off!"

One Taiping commander, holding a command flag, and five Taiping centurions rode up, each carrying a blue flag. They led five hundred cavalrymen out of the gate, divided into five teams, and dispersed to the left and right.

Search outwards from the citadel and camp.