Late Ming Dynasty: From the Defeated Soldiers at Daling River to Ascending the Throne

Chen Feng lay on the rough sheepskin with his back to the tent curtain. He closed his eyes but did not sleep, using his ears to catch the sounds outside the tent.

The regular footsteps of the patrolmen, the occasional snorts of horses in the distance... and now, the sound of boots approaching from afar, deliberately soft yet still hurried.

Shen Qinghe's voice came from outside the tent, now in a warm and even obsequious tone, "Young Master Liang? Have you rested? This servant, Shen Qinghe, has come to offer my congratulations!"

He quickly deduced: judging from the footsteps, there was only one person. It wasn't the heavy, steady gait of a warrior like Oroqen, but rather the slightly unsteady rhythm of a civil official. It was the Han Chinese quartermaster, Shen Qinghe.

coming!

The four men in the tent all shared the same thought: their survival depended on this moment, whether they lived or died, as they ventured deep into the enemy camp.

Chen Feng sat up silently and gave a wink to Wang Jie and Hao Dadao, who were already on guard.

The two men understood each other and moved to either side of the tent flap, ready to suddenly attack and take the newcomer hostage at any moment; Meng Changgeng immediately knelt down beside Chen Feng's felt mat, but his body was tense, ready to make a move.

Chen Feng lay back down on the felt, continuing to face the tent flap with his buttocks facing the tent.

"My lord, this is a momentous occasion!" Shen Qinghe said as he lifted the tent flap.

Chen Feng listened to the sounds and saw only Shen Qinghe's footsteps; no one else entered the tent.

When Wang Jie saw that the only person who came was this traitor named Shen Qinghe, he felt relieved. He exchanged a glance with Hao Dadao and then left the tent.

Chen Feng's mind raced. Only this scholar-traitor had come; it seemed his identity had not been exposed.

Previously, he had thought that if it were Oroqen, facing a brute who discriminated against Han people, he might not be able to handle the situation well. But since the person who came was a spineless traitor like Shen Qinghe, then as long as he acted tough...

Seeing that Chen Feng had his back to him, Shen Qinghe was about to speak when Chen Feng suddenly sprang up! A dark shadow came hurtling towards him with a whoosh of wind!

"Snapped!"

The sole of a soap boot slammed solidly into Shen Qinghe's face, causing him to let out a miserable "Ouch!"

Before he could react, his collar was grabbed by a hand like an iron clamp, and he was dragged into the tent and forced to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, fists and feet rained down.

"You lackey! Who are you calling Nikan?! Huh?!"

"While I was traveling in Datong and Xuanfu, you were still eating cornbread in some poor alley!"

"Dare to look down on me? A single family banquet at the Liang family is enough for a dog like you to live on for a lifetime!"

Chen Feng continued to hit and curse, still using his Shanxi accent, but his tone was fierce and violent, just like a spoiled brat looking for a place to vent his anger.

He deliberately made his movements seem heavy-handed and his strength seemed weak, just like an amateur hitting someone.

Shen Qinghe was stunned by the beating. At first, he tried to explain, but before he could open his mouth, he was slapped again. He could only curl up, covering his head and begging for mercy: "This servant...this servant was wrong...Master, please don't hit me!!"

The commotion outside the tent immediately alerted the guards.

"What's going on?!" Four armored soldiers rushed in, spears gleaming coldly.

Wang Jie and Hao Dadao stepped forward simultaneously, blocking Chen Feng's path. Although unarmed, they displayed the image of loyal servants determined to protect him at all costs.

"Get out of my way!" Chen Feng roared, turning around. "It's none of your business to interfere when I'm disciplining this lackey!"

The soldiers looked at each other, not daring to actually use force against this "distinguished guest of the Great Khan," but they could not back down because of their duty.

Just as the stalemate was at hand, a deep voice rang out from outside the tent, "Stop fighting."

Gultai lifted the curtain and entered, his gaze sweeping over the people inside the tent.

He had been secretly following Shen Qinghe to listen to the sounds inside the tent. Although he and Erosaichen had already learned of the news from the central command tent and were instructed to appease Liang Siye and tell them not to get involved in the matter any further.

Orosechen obeyed the Khan's every word and instructed Shen Qinghe to handle the matter, but he still remained suspicious of the identity of this "Liang Siye".

Although the man produced the seal personally bestowed by the Great Khan, and the central army confirmed his existence, no one came to verify his identity. He remained uneasy, so he made a special trip to see the man's reaction.

"Gurtai Ejen!" The soldiers quickly sheathed their spears and saluted.

Gultai ignored them and looked at Shen Qinghe first, his brows furrowed: "You dog of a servant, what's going on?! Erosaichen Ezhen sent you to properly entertain Young Master Liang, how did you provoke him to such an anger?!"

Shen Qinghe, bruised and swollen, scrambled to his feet, ignoring the blood from his nose, and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly: "It's this servant's fault! This servant was careless with his words and offended Master! Master... Master is just disciplining this servant! It's... just playing around, nothing more than playing around!"

He was incoherent, but took all the blame upon himself.

A barely perceptible look of disgust flashed in Gultai's eyes before he turned to Chen Feng, his face now bearing a slightly apologetic smile. He spoke in fairly fluent Chinese, "Young Master Liang, this servant was ignorant and offended you. I sincerely apologize on his behalf."

Chen Feng's chest heaved, seemingly still angry, but his attitude softened considerably when facing Gultai. "Your Excellency is too kind. I lost my composure."

He kicked Shen Qinghe on the ground. "That servant, he was spouting foul language outside. I've been holding this in for half the night!"

"I see." Gultai nodded, seemingly believing him, then changed the subject, "However, I have come here to congratulate you, young master."

"Oh? What's the good news?" Chen Feng asked, feigning a perfectly timed expression of surprise.

"The Khan has replied," Gultai said with a smile. "The Khan, out of consideration for the Liang family's loyalty, has promised to bestow upon them half a Niru Zhangjing (a military rank) upon their success in this battle! This is a great honor, Young Master Liang, congratulations!"

The tent fell silent instantly.

Hao Dadao and Meng Changgeng didn't react much. It was just a Niru Zhangjing, and they only gave him half a title. These Jurchens were really stingy.

Wang Jie was deeply shocked. Ordinary soldiers might not know, but according to their night watchmen's intelligence, although many Han generals had defected to the Later Jin, only a handful of them had been granted the position of Niru Zhangjing.

Bao Chengxian and Shi Tingzhu, who could advise on military affairs, were Niru Zhangjing, while Ma Guangyuan, who was in charge of cannon manufacturing, was only half Niru Zhangjing because he did not command troops.

In other words, if Liang Siye's identity is true, then his family has reached the limit that Han people of the Later Jin Dynasty could reach overnight.

Chen Feng's expression underwent several changes in an instant. First, he was stunned, as if he didn't understand; then he was incredulous, his eyes widening; finally, a surge of ecstasy welled up inside him, and his entire face turned red.

"Really?!" His voice trembled as he suddenly grabbed Gultai's hand. "Ejen! Is this true?! The Great Khan... the Great Khan really said that?!"

Gultai was startled when he was grabbed. He felt the sweat on the other man's palm from excitement and saw the almost manic joy in his eyes. The last bit of doubt in his heart finally dissipated.

If this person's identity is fake, would his first reaction be ecstatic upon hearing the Khan bestow rewards upon someone unrelated to him? He might pretend, but it would be difficult to fake it so convincingly. His demeanor and tone are exactly the same as those of merchants who have become rich overnight.

Little did he know that Chen Feng had received professional acting and disguise training in his previous life, and had even played the role of a cross-dressing master in order to carry out a mission. Such detailed handling of expressions was a piece of cake for him.

"Absolutely true." Gultai smiled, withdrew his hand, and patted Chen Feng on the shoulder. "The Khan's word is law. Young master, you only need to wait patiently; there will surely be a decree of favor after the battle."

"Good! Good! Good!" Chen Feng exclaimed three times, excitedly pacing around the tent twice. He then grabbed Gultai's hand and shook it twice. "Lord Ezhen! I'm troubling you. Please inform the Great Khan on my behalf! From this day forward, the Liang family will do everything in its power to repay the Great Khan's grace! When we return to Yizhou, I will have my servants deliver ten thousand... no... fifty thousand taels of silver to Lord Ezhen and Lord Orosechen to thank them for their protection!"

He pronounced the words "fifty thousand" with exceptional clarity.

A hint of surprise flashed in Gultai's eyes, and his tone became even more cordial: "You're too kind, young master. It's just my duty. It's only..."

He glanced at Shen Qinghe, who was still kneeling on the ground. "Although this servant has made a mistake, he is, after all, the quartermaster of the camp. Young Master has vented his anger. Could you give Ben'ezhen some face and let him off for now? Don't let him get hurt and delay military affairs."

"Okay...okay..." Chen Feng seemed a little flustered, spun around twice, kicked Shen Qinghe, and shouted, "Get up! I'll spare you this time for Lord Ezhen's sake!"

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!" Shen Qinghe felt as if he had been granted a pardon and staggered to his feet.

Gultai nodded in satisfaction: "Then young master, please rest well. If you have any requests, please tell this servant. Lord Orosechen said that he will try his best to meet your requests."

Gultai smiled at Chen Feng again before turning and leaving the tent. However, he did not go far after leaving the tent, but continued to listen to the sounds inside.

Calm returned to the tent. Chen Feng's ecstatic joy gradually subsided, but he still felt a lingering excitement as he paced back and forth in the tent.

"Half a banner... Good! Good! When I get back, my father will be overjoyed! Old Dao! Wang San! They'll all be rewarded when we get back! You dog slaves!" He pointed at Meng Changgeng, "I'm letting you join the banner! I'll let you be a proper bannerman!"

Meng Changgeng cooperated with a flattered smile, kowtowing repeatedly: "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"

After kowtowing, he didn't forget to throw a provocative look at Shen Qinghe.

A hint of jealousy flashed in Shen Qinghe's eyes, but he didn't dare to say a word.

Some might wonder, didn't the Later Jin dynasty always treat surrendered Han Chinese scholars quite well? How could someone like Ning Wanwo, who was practically nobody in the Ming dynasty, become Huang Taiji's close advisor?

In fact, the Later Jin did not treat many scholars well. At that time, there were very few who could become Han soldiers. Fan Wencheng, the famous traitor in later generations, also surrendered to the Later Jin for nearly ten years before gradually coming into Huang Taiji's sight during the Battle of Dalinghe.

Therefore, most scholars in the Later Jin were also slaves, only slightly better off than ordinary bondservants and Nikan aha.

Chen Feng seemed to only then notice Shen Qinghe still standing to the side, and casually waved his hand: "What are you all standing there for? Go get me some wine! Such good news can't be without wine! The good stuff! And cut some mutton too!"

Shen Qinghe lowered his head, his tone somewhat aggrieved, "Master, it's not that I'm offering you this, there's really no wine in the camp."

Chen Feng got angry again, "No wine!?"

Shen Qinghe quickly knelt down again, "Master Orosechen said that drinking alcohol is forbidden in the army during wartime! All the alcohol in the camp has been moved away!"

"Useless trash!" Chen Feng kicked Shen Qinghe to the ground, then looked at Meng Changgeng, "You! Go find some for me! I refuse to believe that this grand camp has no wine!?"

"Yes, sir!" Meng Changgeng knelt on one knee, looked up and exchanged a glance with Chen Feng. He understood that Chen Feng wanted him to go and investigate the situation first.

Chen Feng then yelled at Shen Qinghe, "You lead the way! Just looking at you annoys me!"

"Yes, sir!" Shen Qinghe got up from the ground and retreated from the tent with Meng Changgeng.

Gultai, who was outside the tent, listened to the commotion and dispelled his last doubts before heading back to his own tent.

As soon as the two left the tent, the smile on Chen Feng's face vanished instantly, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.