Late Ming Dynasty: Special Forces in 1645

The assault team and Li Zicheng didn't hear a muffled thud from afar until they were far away!

Demolition expert Huang Longkun said, "They still caught up and triggered the booby trap!"

Li Chengming nodded: "Judging from the sounds, we've already moved three or four kilometers away. With the sniping just now and the explosion now, they shouldn't dare to chase us easily!"

The demolition expert chuckled, "If they dare to chase us, I wouldn't mind laying a few more booby traps. Killing forty or fifty people won't be a problem."

The booby traps laid by the demolition expert were unbreakable in this era. There was no other way but to clear them by human hands. So even as the Qing soldiers continued to catch up, the assault team members were not very nervous!

The mere act of laying mines along the way could cause dozens of Qing soldiers to die or be wounded, and the psychological deterrent effect was immeasurable.

Just as expected, the assault team marched forward for a while longer without seeing any Qing soldiers pursuing them.

The pursuers behind them were no longer a concern. As long as they didn't encounter a large Qing army force, the assault team members didn't take the pursuit of dozens or hundreds of people seriously.

This breakout only used nineteen bullets. The explosives used could be replaced with gunpowder later, not to mention crossbow bolts. It shouldn't be difficult to find a craftsman to make them exactly the same in weight and shape!

Therefore, taking Li Zicheng away from Jiugong Mountain this time was a very worthwhile deal.

Using drones for reconnaissance to avoid Qing troops and other forces, the commandos escorted Li Zicheng away from the Jiugong Mountain area.

......

After leaving Jiugong Mountain, I did not see any of the former pleasure quarters of the Six Dynasties, the places where gold and powder gathered, or the bustling areas that stretched for miles. None of the prosperous scenes described in historical books were seen.

The commandos were experiencing this era for the first time, witnessing the filthy environment, dilapidated villages, tattered clothes, and frail, impoverished people.

Hunger is a common condition for all people; having a full meal is the greatest luxury for them!

Even landlords only ate a few more mouthfuls of rice per meal than ordinary people. Their extravagant lifestyle of drinking and eating meat every day was something that the lower-class gentry and landlords could never hope for.

Most of the houses were dilapidated, dirty, and old, some made of semi-fired bricks and others of mud. The roofs were covered with straw or reeds, and some thatched huts had mud walls around them or were surrounded by coarse reeds or sorghum stalks.

These simple thatched huts are usually inhabited by two or three generations, and at the same time, cattle, pigs, chickens and other poultry are raised.

Passing through many villages, the commandos curiously observed the villages of this era. The villagers also curiously observed the commandos and Li Zicheng and his group. Seeing that the commandos were dressed strangely, rode warhorses, and carried weapons, they all kept their distance.

"I finally understand that saying," said Liang Zicheng, the assault soldier: "A unique characteristic of the Chinese: poverty!"

The others nodded in agreement, feeling a pang of sadness; they all shared similar sentiments.

This is not a joke, but a fact I witnessed and experienced firsthand!

Li Chengming, however, had a different view: "In the Hubei area, bandits have repeatedly roamed here. After several wars, coupled with other natural and man-made disasters, the people's livelihood has never improved."

Li Zicheng looked somewhat uncomfortable cursing the bald man in front of the monk, because the "bandit" that Li Chengming mentioned was none other than himself, Li Zicheng.

One of Li Zicheng's guards, his neck red, argued, "His Majesty's military discipline is so strict that the people are overjoyed. Those who burned, killed, and looted were the Ming and Qing troops! The people's suffering is due to the corruption of the court!"

Li Zicheng smiled bitterly and did not defend himself. He was a sensible man and was fully aware of the actions of the troops he led. Sometimes it was not that he did not want to restrain them, but that he could not and should not restrain them.

Many soldiers traveled thousands of miles to join the army for money. Besides those who were forced to join due to hunger, many of Li Zicheng's troops also joined to plunder. Li Zicheng was well aware of these people, but there was nothing he could do about it.

These thugs and ruffians, if you don't let them join the rebel army, they'll join the Ming army to fight you, so you can only grit your teeth and make do with them.

Of course, Li Zicheng later suffered a backlash. Because he could not control his army, he lost the support of the people and officials after entering Beijing. He was defeated by the Qing army and never recovered, and was chased all the way!

Upon hearing the guards' explanation, Li Zicheng merely hissed, "Don't call me Your Majesty anymore. It'll make you a laughingstock. Once I return to the army, I'll relinquish the imperial title and start afresh!"

......

A commotion erupted in the village ahead, interspersed with shouts and screams, as if something had happened.

The assault team members and Li Zicheng and others quickly stepped forward to see what had happened!

A group of people drove all the villagers to the threshing ground at the village entrance, and then piled up a small amount of money and a large amount of grain on the other side.

"Good sir, you can take the money, but you must leave us the grain!" A lean, middle-aged farmer knelt before a mounted bandit leader, weeping bitterly.

"This is all the food my family has left. If you take it all, what will we do? My mother and children will starve to death."

The bandit leader on horseback remained unmoved, and with a flick of his whip, he struck the farmer. With a "crack," the farmer screamed in pain as a bloody welt appeared on his body.

The gang leader said fiercely, "If you yell again, I'll beat you to death today! I'm being kind by not crippling you!"

"Dad!" A little girl in tattered clothes rushed to the farmer. "Dad, don't kneel before him! Let's go home! Tomorrow, Dad, you can sell me and get food!"

"Fellow villager, your daughter is quite pretty," the bandit leader said with a forced smile upon seeing a girl of about ten years old. "Although your daughter is dark-skinned, her face is still quite beautiful. Here, you can keep the grain, and I'll take your daughter with me!"

As he spoke, he stretched out his large, rough hand to the little girl, who was so frightened that she took two steps back and looked at the leader warily!

"Good sir, no!" The farmer shielded the little girl behind him. "Good sir, she's so young, you can't do this."

"Hehe!" The leader dismounted, his expression lewd, and said, "Being young is good! They can learn music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing, and then sell themselves to officials and gentry for a good price!"

The farmer was about to protect his daughter and retreat when, before he could even turn around, the bandits behind him grabbed his shoulder and pinned him down, rendering him unable to move.

One of the farmers, who was being held down, said to the foreman, "Foreman, this kid's not behaving himself, let's beat him up first!"

"Stop!" The leader waved his hand, halting two of his men who were about to attack. "This little girl can fetch a good price. Today, I want her to come with me willingly!"

"Fellow villager, if you want to keep your daughter, I'll take all your grain with me. Hehe, in the end you'll still have to sell your daughter anyway."

The head of the gang, with "kindness," analyzed the pros and cons, saying, "How about this, you sell your daughter to me, and I'll keep your grain for you, plus I'll give you the same amount of grain. Isn't that a good deal?"

"No!" The farmer shook his head vigorously and said, "Good sir, I, I won't sell my daughter. She was just joking. She's just a child and doesn't understand."

"Is that so?" The leader's expression turned gloomy. He pushed the little girl away and then kicked the farmer hard in the chest.

The farmer groaned, his body arching as he was kicked, his hands clutching his chest, and blood seemed to be flowing from the corner of his mouth.

Among the hundreds of villagers at the threshing ground, no one dared to speak up, and no one dared to step forward to help.

The leader said with displeasure, "I'm discussing this with you, not saying you can object!"

Then he glanced at the other villagers. Those who were swept up by the bandit leader lowered their heads and dared not meet his gaze. Several children were held back by the villagers and tried their best to hide their figures, for fear that they might be spotted by this group of bandits.