The New Destiny of the Ming Dynasty

Ever since waking up in the darkness that day and realizing what had happened, Yang Zhen has been like a clockwork mechanism, preparing for everything as quickly as possible.

Although Yang Zhen felt he had given it his all, time was too limited, and he hadn't finished many of the preparations he wanted to make.

If he could be given ten days or half a month, his preparations would definitely be more thorough, and his chances of victory would be greater.

But he no longer had time.

On the night of the third day of the third lunar month, after listening to the complaints of Zhang Degui, Pan Wenmao, and Yang Shen, Yang Zhen, along with Zhang Degui, Pan Wenmao, and his personal guards, went to the governor's office that very night to request an audience with Governor Fang Yizao and Supervisor of Military Supplies Yuan Shu.

At that time, a curfew had already been imposed in Ningyuan City. Without the written orders of Governor Fang Yizao and Marshal Zu Dashou, no one was allowed to leave their home.

But Yang Zhen, who was extremely anxious, didn't care about any of that. Whenever he encountered patrolling men on the street, he would charge at them under the banner of the Provisional Ningyuan Vanguard Battalion.

Tomorrow is the fourth day of the third lunar month, and it's time to head north.

If the grain transport fleet from Juehua Island's grain depot arrives earlier than planned, then we'll be in trouble.

Even if it's just half a day in the morning, if Yang Zhen can't withstand the pressure and sets off at noon, then Yang Zhen's trip will probably be completely ruined.

So far, of the planned firearms equipment, he has only managed to acquire forty-one Lumi guns.

The other cannons, such as the Tiger Crouching Cannon, the Frankish Cannon, and the Nine-Headed Bird Cannon, were all out of service, lacking even the most basic gunpowder. To hastily march north under such circumstances would be nothing short of suicide!

At a time like this, what's the point of talking about gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and humility?!

That night, Yang Zhen and his entourage went out into the streets, barging around and smashing open the gates of the governor's office without a care in the world.

Although Governor Fang Yizao was quite annoyed and complained that Yang Zhen was ignorant, after hearing Yang Zhen's explanation, he still sent his son Fang Guangchen with his own handwritten letter to Zu Dashou's residence, Zu Family Compound, that very night.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shu, the supervisor of supplies who was temporarily working in the same office as the governor, was also indignant. He simply wrote a handwritten order, signed and stamped it, and specially approved the use of a portion of the military supplies that were originally scheduled to be transported to Ningyuan the next day and allocated to Zu Dashou.

This included: 1,000 catties of saltpeter, 800 catties of sulfur, 600 catties of willow charcoal, 600 each of the "Ten Thousand Enemy Cannon," "Dragon King Cannon," and "Thunderclap Bomb," as well as 20,000 lead, iron, and stone bullets used by the government troops for their guns and cannons!

Yang Zhen hadn't really appreciated Yuan Shu's previous kindness, but now he understood the profound truth that having connections in the court made it easier to get ahead in officialdom, and he realized how important it was to have a superior who was mindful of the big picture and willing to take responsibility!

That night, until the early hours of the morning, when the east was already turning white, Yang Zhencai led the group, full of gratitude and tears of thanks, to bid farewell to Governor Fang Yizao and Yuan Shu, the Imperial Commissioner in charge of supplying provisions, and returned to their camp.

Back at his lodgings, Yang Zhen was utterly exhausted and on the verge of collapse, but he still had a lot of work to do, so he had no choice but to push through.

Coincidentally, Zhang Degui and Pan Wenmao, at this critical juncture, did not dare to go back to rest either, and stayed by his side.

So Yang Zhen had his personal guards heat up some wine, giving each of them a bowl. They drank to relieve their fatigue while continuing to discuss matters.

"In my opinion, the Nine-Headed Bird and the Tiger Crouching Cannon are nothing special, and Commander Zu should not stop us! Even if it is a Portuguese car, which is a bit valuable, now that we have the Governor's personal letter, Commander Zu will not be stingy!"

"I think the reason why we haven't received any definite news from Zu Keyong yet is probably because someone under Commander Zu is obstructing us! But I've also thought that even if Commander Zu doesn't give Governor Bai any credit, we still have to set off on time!"

"I think your artillery's right-wing adjutant, Yang Shen, has some ideas! On the morning of the fourth day, that's right, today, take another look! If even Governor Fang's personal letter is useless, then we shouldn't be polite! Take down every bronze bell that can be dismantled in Ningyuan City!"

"That big bell in the clock tower, get rid of it too! The cannon problem, let's settle it here! Anyone who dares to stop us, kill the hell out of them! I'm risking my life, I refuse to believe this!"

Yang Zhen spoke through gritted teeth, and under the dim light, the veins on his scarred face bulged, making him look ferocious.

Perhaps, this is the original Yang Zhen.

Ever since Yang Zhencheng, the office director, became the deputy general of Ningyuan, he felt that he had a tendency to be schizophrenic. One moment he was Yang Zhen, who was clear-headed and knew the course of history, and the next he was Yang Zhen, who was irritable and fierce.

It was as if another person, a person as fierce as a tiger, was hidden within one's own body and beneath one's own consciousness.

When he loses control of his emotions, when his anger suddenly rises, Yang Zhen, who is like a fierce tiger, will erupt in an instant.

The two Yang Zhens are so different that it's no wonder the current Yang Zhen's mind and personality are split.

"Young Master Zhen! Young Master Zhen! Things in this world have always been this difficult! It's just that in the past, we had the old commander and General Yang to rely on! With powerful backers, things went more smoothly! But now we're in Ningyuan City, they're the hosts, and we're the guests! We have no say in anything!"

Seeing that Yang Zhen, whom he had watched grow up, suddenly acted like a "mad tiger," Zhang Degui quickly spoke up to remind him.

Hearing Zhang Degui's words, Yang Zhen gradually calmed down. He looked up and saw Pan Wenmao standing to the side. After thinking for a moment, he said to the two of them:

"Enough with the grumbling! The important business still needs to be done! I, Yang Zhen, am prepared to die, but my death is a small matter compared to the future and destiny of my comrades who follow me! I know what's more important!"

After saying this, Yang Zhen paused briefly, then looked up specifically at Pan Wenmao and said, "I heard that you, Old Pan—back in the garrison, were in charge of producing saltpeter and making medicine?"

"Replying to Young Master Zhen! Back then, I was valued by the former commander and was indeed tasked with producing saltpeter and medicine for our guard! It's been twenty years already! At that time, Young Master Zhen was just a child!"

"Old Pan! What are you talking about, kid! Why are you bringing this up?!"

Pan Wenmao had barely begun speaking when Zhang Degui sternly stopped him, leaving him momentarily stunned and bewildered.

Yang Zhen used to be most annoyed by his father's old subordinates who acted like they were old and arrogant. After he succeeded as commander at a young age, many of his father's generals liked to act like they were old and arrogant, openly and secretly saying that he was just a kid.

A significant number of people hoped that Yang Zhen's uncle, Yang Guozhu, would succeed him as commander and take charge of the overall situation amidst the chaos in Liaodong.

After all, Yang Zhen's uncle, Yang Guozhu, was brave, resourceful, and a seasoned veteran; his seniority, seniority, and prestige were undeniable.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty court and the Five Military Commissions at that time consistently adhered to the primogeniture system, which stipulated that if there was a legitimate heir, the eldest son should be chosen as heir, and if there was no legitimate heir, the eldest son should be chosen as heir.

Although the situation in Liaodong had deteriorated to the extreme at that time, Yang Zhen, an unknown young man, still managed to become the commander as the eldest son of the Yang family, the hereditary commander of the Guangning Houtun Guard.

However, after Yang Zhen took over as commander, he was arrogant, short-tempered, and unyielding. In addition, he was skilled in archery and horsemanship. In battle, he liked to charge recklessly, regardless of casualties, and did not know how to preserve his strength.

As a result, many elderly people gradually turned to rely on his uncle, Yang Guozhu.

The number of old men remaining in his camp dwindled with each battle, and those who survived were mostly sidelined and no longer given important positions.

Now, several years have passed in the blink of an eye. Many of the old men died on the battlefield, and only a handful have survived. Pan Wenmao is one of them, and can be considered one of the few remaining survivors.

"Oh dear—Guerrilla Zhang was right! Look at me, I'm getting senile! Please forgive me, sir!"

Zhang Degui reminded Pan Wenmao, who immediately reverted to his superior-subordinate attitude. However, this was not what Yang Zhen was happy to see.

"Ahem—what time is it now, stop talking about tolerance! Besides, you all held positions in this guard when my grandfather was still alive, so you're practically my elders! Without your help, I, Yang Zhen, wouldn't be where I am today!"

Yang Zhen sighed as he said this, and seeing that Pan Wenmao was about to decline again, he quickly waved his hand to stop him from speaking, and continued, "Let's not talk about these things! For now, let's settle the issue of the artillery like this!"

"The most urgent issue now is the gunpowder! At present, Dr. Yuan has taken a risk and specially approved some military supplies and ammunition for us, but these are just raw materials. If we want to use them, we will have to mix and produce them ourselves!"

"Even after we board the ship, the journey won't be peaceful! You need to start thinking about the gunpowder issue now! This is our top priority!"

"If you can't produce high-quality gunpowder, even the best firearms will be useless! Even if Commander Zu allocated the Nine-Headed Bird, the Frankish Cannon, and the Tiger Crouching Cannon, it wouldn't make a difference!"