With 100,000 elite soldiers at the start, what should you call me?

……

Guangzhou.

A group of envoys from the Ming Dynasty arrived.

The eunuch read out the imperial edict: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: In these times of turmoil, you have abandoned darkness for light, and I am greatly pleased… I hereby bestow upon Li Chengdong the title of Marquis of Guangchang, and grant him the authority to act expediently as Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. This is the imperial decree!"

"Congratulations, Marquis of Guangchang."

After the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, a smile spread across his old face.

Li Chengdong was somewhat displeased upon hearing this and did not immediately step forward to receive the imperial decree.

The eunuch's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this, realizing something was wrong; "The Marquis of Guangchang is clearly dissatisfied with the reward!"

"The title of Marquis of Guangchang must be granted step by step. Today we are marquises, tomorrow we will be dukes, and the day after tomorrow we may be kings. It is too fast to rise to the top in one step. We must take it slowly."

The eunuch, all smiles, hurriedly handed the imperial edict to Li Chengdong.

"Thank you, Eunuch Cao." Li Chengdong's eyes darted around, and he realized that he had to show sincerity in returning to the court first.

Once he joins the Ming court, wouldn't it be easy for him, who holds a large army, to be granted a duchy? Even being granted a king wouldn't be impossible.

If I could bring the emperor to Zhaoqing, wouldn't I be able to control him from then on?

Having figured everything out, Li Chengdong accepted the imperial edict without hesitation and sent his eldest son, Li Yuanyin, to Nanning to receive the Yongli Emperor.

The news that Li Chengdong had led the entire city of Guangzhou to surrender to the Ming court spread like wildfire throughout the land.

In Wuzhou, Guangzhou Governor Geng Xianzhong, General Yang Youguang, Cangwu Circuit Intendant Chen Shi, and others responded, also rebelling against the Qing and returning to the Ming.

But one person was not so happy.

That was Tong Yangjia, the former Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.

Tong Yangjia and Li Chengdong led their troops to capture Guangzhou. The imperial court issued an edict to bestow titles upon them. Tong Yangjia was appointed Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, in charge of all military and political affairs, while Li Chengdong was appointed Admiral of Guangdong and Guangxi. The two, who were originally of the same rank, became superior and subordinate.

Tong Yangjia was of a higher rank than Li Chengdong, which made it impossible for him to willingly submit to the Ming court.

Moreover, Tong Yangjia was from Liaodong, and his family had followed the Qing Dynasty in its early years. During the Later Jin period, the Tong family was even retaliated against by the Ming court, and his family members were almost wiped out.

Tong Yangjia harbored an irreconcilable hatred towards the Ming court.

"No, I must find an opportunity to kill Li Chengdong, otherwise if the entire Guangzhou area surrenders to the Ming court, the situation will be dire."

"If you want to kill Li Chengdong, the best way is to hold a treacherous banquet."

Tong Yangjia narrowed his eyes slightly; "This plan is feasible. After all, I have now received the title of Earl of Xiangping from the Ming court, and no one will suspect anything if I invite the Marquis of Guangchang to hold a banquet to celebrate."

After devising a plan and arranging for executioners, he then sent his servants to invite Li Chengdong.

The next day.

Tong Yangjia sent his servants to invite Li Chengdong for drinks.

"My master has invited the Marquis of Guangchang to his residence the day after tomorrow to celebrate his submission."

The servants of the Tong family stood respectfully bowing below, speaking slowly and deliberately.

Li Chengdong smiled as he sat in the seat of honor; "Lu Hai is indeed thoughtful. Very well, I will go to his residence for a chat."

Li Chengdong immediately agreed, after all, he had just been ennobled and how could he not celebrate?

As soon as the servants of the Tong family left, two figures emerged from behind the screen.

"This banquet hosted by the Marquis of Guangchang is likely a trap; you should not go," a tall, thin man advised.

"Oh? Why do you say that, Mr. He?" A hint of surprise flashed in Li Chengdong's eyes.

He Wuzhou was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) during the Wanli era. After Guangzhou was captured, he went into seclusion and refused to serve in the government.

It wasn't until Yuan Peng and others secretly instigated Li Chengdong to betray the Qing and return to the Ming, and persuaded him to come out of seclusion, that he finally took up office again.

The same applies to Huang Shih-Chun, who appears to be older on the other side.

"Tong Yangjia is a Liao person who followed the Jurchen Tartars during the reign of Huang Taiji. How could someone like you, General, possibly abandon darkness and embrace light with you?" He Wuzhou retorted.

Li Chengdong's eyes darted around; "Mr. He is right. The Tong family's roots are in Liaodong. If they really surrender to me, the Tartars will definitely kill their whole family, given their brutality."

"So he came to invite me this time to kill me?!" Li Chengdong instantly realized what was going on.

"General, you have a discerning eye," Huang Shijun chimed in from the side.

Li Chengdong narrowed his eyes, let out a cold laugh, and exuded murderous intent.

"Hmph, I knew this day would come."

"I will kill Tong Yangjia with my own hands the day after tomorrow."

The day after tomorrow will arrive.

A banquet was set up at Tong Yangjia's mansion, and behind the doors on both sides of the banquet hall, a hundred axemen were hidden.

"Smashing the cup as a signal will accomplish this!"

However, with the banquet about to begin, very few officials arrived at the residence.

Tong Yangjia frowned, immediately sensing that something was wrong.

"Why are there so few people?"

Things have changed!

However, just as Tong Yangjia realized something was wrong, the front door was suddenly kicked open.

The sound of armor rubbing together, along with unusual, chaotic footsteps, immediately came through.

"That scoundrel Li Chengdong is trying to kill me!" Tong Yangjia immediately summoned the hidden axemen.

However, these one hundred men were completely powerless against a fully armed army.

Swordsmen and shieldmen stood in front, followed by crossbowmen; any swordsmen or axemen who stepped forward were shot dead.

Tong Yangjia panicked and led more than a dozen men to escape through the back door, but his mansion was already surrounded.

The sounds of fighting in the hall gradually faded away, and Tong Yangjia, with nowhere to escape, was eventually captured.

"Tong Yangjia, you can go die now."

When Li Chengdong saw Tong Yangjia for the last time, his face was full of indifference.

Knowing he was doomed, Tong Yangjia remained calm and composed, instead laughing and saying, "Li Chengdong, I will see you in the underworld soon."

"The fate of the world rests on our Great Qing. Li Chengdong, it's utterly foolish of you to refuse a perfectly good command!"

"Kill him." Li Chengdong didn't waste any more words with Tong Yangjia.

The soldier chopped down with his sword, and the man's head fell to the ground.

After killing Tong Yangjia, Li Chengdong led his army to Zhaoqing to await the arrival of Emperor Yongli.

Meanwhile, in Jianning Prefecture, far away in Fujian...

Li Tian received an imperial edict from the Ming court and a decree of amnesty from the Qing court.

The Ming envoy was accompanied by several eunuchs and a few Imperial Guards.

However, the atmosphere was a bit off at this moment. After all, all the rebel leaders would bathe and burn incense before receiving the imperial edict, and listen to it with utmost reverence.

However, the rebel leader in front of them sat motionless in his high position.

"General Li, you need to burn incense to receive the imperial edict," the eunuch cautiously reminded him.

"Hurry up and read it, don't waste my time." Li Tian was busy approving documents and didn't have time to pay attention to them.

The leading eunuch sighed, while several Imperial Guards behind him were furious.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees... that Li Tian be specially appointed as the Earl of Jianyang, and given overall jurisdiction over matters of Jianning Prefecture..."

"That's it? There's nothing else?" Li Tian frowned immediately after hearing the imperial edict.

He had sent a team of envoys to Guilin to discuss trade with the Ming court, but there was still no word from them. Instead of receiving their return, he received a high-ranking title from the Ming court.

This puzzled him.

"Yes, and also, here's the imperial edict and a formal suit," the eunuch hurriedly said. The people behind him presented a document and a set of Ming dynasty earl's formal suits.