The Mysterious Ming Dynasty: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

"I'm an employee of the East India Company. I've served the Ming Dynasty, I've shed blood for the Duke. For God's sake, please help me out!"

"Your Excellency, the officials of the thirty-six islands of Xiniu Hezhou, under the command of Charles II of Great Britain, are willing to serve as our vanguard. We have ten ships in Calicut, earning a million taels of silver annually! The East India Company of Yinzhou can be of service to Your Excellency! The Holy Roman Empire slaughtered six million Han Chinese; Great Britain can be our pioneer in avenging this humiliation!"

"I can love the Ming Dynasty too!"

"You bastard, you're not even human anymore."

The barbarians cried and wailed until they were castrated and had their heads shaved, at which point they finally broke down in tears.

Si Chen only felt the noise in his ears.

The emerald-like scales at the corners of his eyes gave him new senses and emotional perception.

They were telling the truth, yet they weren't telling the truth.

After all, the west had long been in chaos, and the Ming Dynasty's overseas immigrants had been out of contact for so long, so naturally they could not escape the all-out witch hunt.

"Do you think these barbarians are worth saving?"

"If the Heavenly Official says it exists, then it exists."

Xu Wenjue looked embarrassed.

"What?" Si Chen glared at him and pressed for an answer. "I didn't hear you. Say it again."

Xu Wenjue knew Si Chen's intention and suddenly raised his voice, saying, "Celestial Official, what I mean is, they deserve to die."

"What did the Duke just say?" someone asked in a low voice.

"It seems to be saying...they deserve to die." The person who answered looked at the heads of Long Yi and Long Huamin, his voice trembling.

The screams were incessant.

Until it got dark.

Several missionaries, looking like dead dogs, were thrown in; their faces were ashen.

Si Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "Do you want to live or die?"

Their eyes lit up.

"I'm willing to be your lackey!"

"You don't hate me?"

"To be used by the dragon's offspring is a blessing for a lowly person like me. Even the wise and mighty emperor needs sycophants. A lowly person will be a dog, but even a dog's dog will be the biggest dog. A dog's dog will eventually be abandoned!"

"Hmph, all talk and no action. Very well, you can go and recuperate now. I hope the next time I see you, it won't be on a fleet that's fighting on the European mainland."

Si Chen watched them.

"Smile, keep smiling."

"very good."

"Death is a game between you and God. If you smile, you will go to heaven; if you frown, then unfortunately, you will go to hell."

Several absurd individuals, clutching their crotches, fled the church.

Si Chen closed his eyes to rest.

After the assassination attempt, he realized that he still had shortcomings.

He was bleeding.

Fortunately, the three powers that were awakened were all used to save their lives; it must be said that the senior had foresight.

In this world, you can only contribute if you're alive.

Silent all night.

Nothing was gained.

The morning light is dim.

Si Chen opened his eyes and took a bath and changed his clothes.

Xu Wenjue had been waiting for a long time. "Celestial Official, about yesterday's events..."

"It's all in the past. People die and their debts are settled. It's perfectly reasonable." Si Chen stood in front of the temple, looking at the masses of people below Tianjin Port.

Xu Wenjue's heart skipped a beat.

The silence grew increasingly serious.

Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, and the chill gradually seeped into my body.

Si Chen instantly turned into a snowman, watching the snowflakes melt in his hands. "It's going to snow again. I won't stay here long. How many useful people does Tianjin Port have?"

Xu Wenjue paused for a moment, then began to think about what constituted a useful person, and whether useless people should all die.

Si Chen glanced at him; the power of the Dragonborn allowed him to perceive Xu Wenjue's inner thoughts: "Those of the four classes with legitimate occupations, possessing official rank."

Xu Wenjue immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Among the four classes of people: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants."

"The majority of the soldiers here are from the garrison and the Jinyiwu Hall. If they are given a lord, they can be revitalized. It's just that they are quite expensive to maintain. Of course, with your rank, Your Excellency, it is a piece of cake to support them."

"There are two other officials in charge of agriculture; I can introduce them to you."

"As for Tiangong, as you know, they either all went south or were captured; it's absolutely impossible for them to be stranded outside."

"Traditional merchants who follow the proper channels have disappeared these days."

Si Chen nodded, "Then I'll trouble you, young master, to make the introduction. As I've just ascended the throne, it's truly unexpected."

"This is simple."

"Where did those rat-man assassins come from yesterday?"

Xu Wenjue spread his hands and said, "The white-haired ones are wandering samurai from the thirteen daimyo of Japan, and the black-haired ones are Dalit people from South India. Only they would be so mutated. There are no other families like them in the world."

Si Chen waved his hand, and Xu Wenjue bowed and took his leave.

He knew that these resources were insignificant to the descendants of the wealthy and powerful King Zhongshan, who had been rich for nearly two hundred years.

He didn't care about the assassination attempt yesterday; it was just a waste of money and supplies, which actually put Xu Wenjue at ease.

The three bombardment cannons still remain inside the church.

The tiles gleamed.

The bloodstains and remains of the limbs have been cleaned up.

Si Chen could even feel the heat emanating from the cannon barrel where his fingers touched.

"Ming Gong!"

The twelve people, numbering six and six, entered in an orderly fashion, put down their heavy bundles, and knelt down as if a mountain of gold and a jade pillar had been overturned upon meeting.

Si Chen raised his hand, "Why are you all here? Could it be that something has happened in the capital again?"

"Please take a look, my lord."

Liu Jia neatly removed his helmet, revealing that his cheeks, neck, and arms were all covered in jade-green scales.

Scales also appeared at the corners of Liuding's eyes.

"Ah, this is a good thing. I have awakened the dragon vein, and you will all benefit from it as well." Si Chen waved his hand to reassure them.

Twelve people stepped forward.

"Not only that."

Liu Jia: "My lord, warriors possess the supernatural powers of 'wearing armor and helmets,' 'mercury blood and silver marrow,' 'water and fire immortal garments,' 'golden skin and jade veins,' and 'circulating the body's energy. As heroic spirits of the Tang Dynasty, it is already extremely fortunate that we can retain half of our strength before death. Now, in addition to 'wearing armor and helmets,' we also possess the divine power of 'mercury blood and silver marrow.'"

Liu Ding: "We are all torchbearers. In addition to the 'Six Ding Divine Fire' already ignited within our bodies, we now possess the power of the 'Samadhi True Fire.' If blessed by the nation's fortune, we can become ashes warriors."

Liu Ding and Liu Jia: "Our twelve brothers have achieved what we have today entirely thanks to the grace of our superiors. Hearing of your assassination attempt, I am here alone to protect you."

Si Chen finally understood.

They're just too eager to improve.

After all, as his cultivation level increases day by day, it's hard to tell who is protecting whom.

Now, we've taken another step forward and are finally able to keep up with the pace of progress.

Back then, Si Chen summoned the military soldiers of Weibo from the long river of history.

They were the Dragon Fang Soldiers, wielding long swords and large spears, capable of shattering both men and horses.

In the inner vision of psionic manifestation.

The six Ding and six Jia have three distinct positions clearly displayed on their bodies.

None of the "Dragonborn," "Heroic Spirit," or "Weibo Dragon Fang Soldier" should be underestimated.

Si Chen cupped his hands and said, "It is a great comfort to have formed a bond with you all. As a descendant of the dragon, I am capable of establishing my own government. Since you all do not find my water residence too simple, how could I be stingy?"

"Thank you for your guidance." The six Ding and six Jia guardians then stood up.

To redefine the title of monarch, the form of address should naturally be changed.

Si Chen accepted it calmly.

Ding Mao, dressed in red, led the six Ding to take over the documents left behind.

The golden-armored general Jiazi, wielding a bow, took over the defense duties from Xu Wenjue's confidants.

Jia Chen, dressed in red armor, pulled a small yellow figure from his sleeve. "Your Excellency, a letter from the Duke of England."

In the chapter "Water and Earth," Guanzi states that a lake that had dried up for hundreds of years, yet whose valleys never overflowed and whose water never ceased, gave birth to Qing Ji.

Qing Ji is a man who looks like a human, is four inches tall, wears yellow clothes, a yellow crown, and a yellow canopy, rides a small horse, and likes to gallop fast.

Calling someone by their name can bring back a message from a thousand miles away in a single day.

This is the essence of a dried-up swamp.

Qingji is one of those little demons born to drive chariots and horses, a spirit nurtured by mountains and rivers, hiding in the water.

Once a promise is made to deliver a letter, it will be kept indefinitely.

Si Chen had heard that the Duke of Ying's family had been in contract with a fairy for generations, and this was probably the one.

The four-inch-tall figure straightened its clothes, jumped into Si Chen's hands, and looked up.

"Is this dragon descendant the Director of Astronomy?"

"Exactly, the real deal."

Qing Ji took out a small picture book from his sleeve and carefully examined it, as if verifying his identity.

"Oh, before he died, Duke Zhang Zhiji of England asked me to pass on a message to you."

"Wait? You mean, the Duke of England is dead?"