Chapter 008: Miracles

That is how it is; anyway, he just needs to let Shanhaiguan fall into the hands of Li Zicheng

As for himself, if it really comes to it, he can always run away. If he can fight his way out of Beijing, why can't he escape from the chaos of the battlefield? He would have to run desperately after escaping Beijing, but in this area, as long as he turns and dives into the mountains of Rehe, he would find boundless freedom. As for what happens afterward, that can be discussed later. At worst, he could take off the dragon robe, change his appearance, and head south. With his current skills, it is likely that he could still manage to raise a troop without much trouble. He would have to run desperately after escaping Beijing, but in this area, as long as he turns and dives into the mountains of Rehe, he would find boundless freedom. As for what happens afterward, that can be discussed later. At worst, he could take off the dragon robe, change his appearance, and head south. With his current skills, it is likely that he could still manage to raise a troop without much trouble.

What is Wu Sangui doing in Ningyuan? Moreover, he is worried that Old Wu might directly go and become good friends with Dorgon

Yang Feng said

Suddenly, a light sphere the size of a water tank appeared above his head. Before the crowd could react, a torrent of yellow energy surged down from the sphere like a mountain flood, crashing into the golden waves in front of the one thousand troops lined up, and then rapidly spreading to both sides, while the height of the accumulation in the center continued to rise.

It is so difficult to find a loyal minister in this day and age

Yang Feng helped him up and said

Proclamation

This is a gift from the Great Ancestor. You are to store it in the warehouse first to supplement the insufficient food supply. Under no circumstances are the citizens within the city allowed to starve to death.

Li Qing, you shall accompany me to Ningyuan

Old Wu was momentarily bewildered, and the surrounding Song Quan and others were also perplexed, each looking at His Majesty the Emperor. At this moment, His Majesty the Emperor, for reasons unknown, raised his head to gaze at the sky, his arms outstretched and angled upward, and more importantly, he had his eyes closed, wearing a sacred expression that resembled someone constipated, unsure of what to do.

During the break, Yang Feng hurriedly sought consultation from Xiao Qian

This matter is not your fault; it is I who have been overly indecisive, failing to issue an edict summoning you to the capital sooner. Moreover, it is also my fault for not recognizing the true nature of people, being blinded by those treacherous and deceitful individuals, and mistakenly employing those ungrateful traitors. Had it not been for these traitors surrendering without a fight, how could the city of Beijing have awaited your arrival? Tang Tong, Du Zhi Zhi, Li Jian Tai, and Zhang Jin Yan are the ones who deserve to die a thousand deaths.

Of course, if they knew that Li Zicheng was targeting the wealthy, it would undoubtedly be akin to the spirit of the founding emperor reviving the Ming Dynasty.

It should be said that it is foolish

The Great Ancestor manifests divine power, the Ming Dynasty is revitalized, long live our Emperor, long live, long live for eternity

He then said again

His move was indeed executed beautifully. The quick-witted Wang Cheng'en was the first to fall to the ground, screaming: "The Taizu has manifested, the Taizu has manifested!"

Li Yutian spoke with a hint of subtle sadness

This Liaodong governor, who has refreshed his perspective, is actually more malicious than others. His fervent advocacy for the steadfast defense of Ningyuan is nothing more than a ploy to entice him to divide his forces and weaken the defenses of Shanhaiguan, thereby facilitating Li Zicheng's assault. While others may still harbor some loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor, this Liaodong governor has already regarded His Majesty as a dead man.

Damn, I am truly great; this is a sacrifice for a noble cause

No, no, Changbo, I am not going to Ningyuan to fight, but to personally meet with Dorgon to strive for the best outcome regarding the borrowing of troops. However, there is no choice but to fight here at Shanhaiguan. You are a seasoned general and a pillar of the Ming Dynasty; Shanhaiguan cannot do without you. I am not well-versed in military affairs and do not understand the matters of commanding battles, so my presence here would be of little use. However, you can take charge of Shanhaiguan. The affairs of the people will be handled by the cabinet, and you may have full authority over military matters. I have already issued an edict appointing you as the Grand Commander of the Five Armies Command, to lead the troops of this realm. You must ensure the defense of Shanhaiguan. I swear to heaven that the day I return to the palace will be the day you are conferred the title of king!

I, Wu Sangui, humbly pay my respects to Your Majesty

According to Xiao Qian, the spatial rift leading into this parallel universe is located in outer space directly facing the North Pole. She can oversee the entire Northern Hemisphere like a satellite, and she can also establish wormholes to directly transport objects to specified locations on the ground. However, this requires a tremendous amount of energy. The larger the wormhole and the longer it is maintained, the more energy she expends. Therefore, the items that can be transported are limited, making it impossible to send a tank; only relatively small objects can be transported for a short duration.

In fact, the best approach at this time is to confiscate the surplus grain from the populace and then implement a rationing system. However, if that were to happen, those gentry would unhesitatingly abandon him. Currently, these gentry have options; the only reason they have not abandoned him is due to a sense of inertia. He needs to wait for news of Li Zicheng attacking the wealthy landowners while simultaneously blocking the advance of the Qing army. Only then will they have no choice but to truly bind themselves to him, making some compromises for the sake of survival. The only reason they have not abandoned him is due to a sense of inertia. He needs to wait for news of Li Zicheng attacking the wealthy landowners while simultaneously blocking the advance of the Qing army. Only then will they have no choice but to truly bind themselves to him, making some compromises for the sake of survival.

What happened to Li Yutian later

Yang Feng said with grief and indignation

Song Quan shouted excitedly

Well, this is what Yang Feng wants Xiao Qian to do for him

Then the same cries echoed through the sky

Long Bo, you have arrived

As Yang Feng reviewed his army with a blank expression, Liang Cheng reported to him

Old Wu repeated it again

If one cannot hold on to ... ...

Your servant, I shall obey the command!

Your Majesty, the Marquis of Pingxi has arrived

In a petrified state, Liang Cheng and others witnessed the frenzied Jinyiwei led by Yang Feng. Initially, Vice General Chen and the cavalry who rushed out from Jizhou City to rescue them immediately knelt down. Following this, Song Quan and others instantly regained their senses and all knelt down in unison. Then, the entire army of 10,000, along with the surrounding military and civilians, as well as everyone on the city walls of Shanhaiguan and Dongluocheng, all knelt down, looking with trepidation at His Majesty the Emperor, who was striking an exaggerated pose and radiating a divine aura.

I, the minister, have failed in my duty to serve the sovereign, resulting in the two palaces being shrouded in dust and the sacred carriage being scattered. This is indeed a crime deserving of a thousand deaths. I humbly beseech Your Majesty to impose punishment upon me

Yang Feng said

Upon learning what Yang Feng intended to do, Wu Sangui immediately said

However, Yang Feng seemed to have not heard it

He surrendered to Li Zicheng before the Battle of Shanhaiguan, and was subsequently sent by Li Zicheng to attack Sichuan alongside Ma Ke; thereafter, there are no further records of him

Although he displayed miracles, this thing is not omnipotent. If it truly provokes those gentry, they will not care whether you are the manifestation of the Great Ancestor. If you touch their possessions, they will dare to claim that you are clearly a demon causing trouble, that the Emperor and the Great Ancestor have possessed you to break out of Beijing. It is evident that it is the demons that have possessed you, and this possession has not occurred just for a day, which is why the Ming Dynasty has been thrown into chaos. The King of Chuang is clearly here to eradicate demons on behalf of Heaven.

Xiao Qian spoke without any regard for face

He then turned to Li Yutian and said

Because this yellow torrent is actually countless yellow soybeans

Alright, Yang Feng understands

Your Majesty, the journey to Ningyuan is bound to be fraught with peril. It is not advisable for Your Majesty to personally face such dangers. I am originally the General of Liaodong, and it is my duty to guard Ningyuan. I am willing to go on behalf of Your Majesty.

Suddenly, the Emperor exclaimed with joy.

I was just suddenly summoned by the Great Ancestor, and I was so preoccupied with paying my respects that I did not notice your arrival

At this moment, Yang Feng switched his state, exuding a pervasive aura of dominance as he lowered his hand. The luminous sphere in the sky suddenly vanished, leaving behind a mound of yellow beans piled up to a height of over ten meters. Nearby, several soldiers who had been caught off guard were buried within it, and they were hurriedly climbing out with the help of their comrades.

But it is not possible yet

Ah!

Moreover, this is merely the appearance; considering that even junipers can perish from inferior helmets, it goes without saying what kind of quality these standard-issue equipment must be.

Everyone has lost their mind

Xiao Qian said

Old Wu lay on the ground and said

Shanhaiguan is not impossible to defend; there are tens of thousands of the most elite border troops of the Ming Dynasty here, along with over one hundred thousand relocated civilians. Among them, several thousand young men can also be armed, and if necessary, women can join the fight as well. Even the people of Jiangyin managed to hold off the Qing army for several months, let alone these individuals. The only issue is that they lack the will to fight. They understand that even if they can hold off the enemy temporarily, they will ultimately starve without food. Therefore, it is essential to find a way to instill hope in them.

However, this is exactly what he desires. He does not care about the reasons behind Li Yutian's actions; he only wants to march north to reclaim Ningyuan and hold it firmly. If Li Zicheng can capture Shanhaiguan, so be it, but he cannot allow the Qing army to control Shanhaiguan, nor can he let Wu Sangui's most elite troops, the Guanning army, become the pawns of the Qing. He must find ways to persuade these fence-sitters to follow him and fight to the last for the Ming dynasty. Even if they cannot fight to the last man, if they must surrender, it can only be to Li Zicheng. As for other matters, they can only leave them to fate. If in the end he holds Ningyuan and Wu Sangui holds Shanhaiguan, then they can farm and develop in this area. The two hundred li of coastal plain is sufficient, and with mountains on one side and the sea on the other, holding Ningyuan and Shanhaiguan essentially secures the middle ground, especially since they can also fish and engage in other activities.

Soon, Liang Cheng approached with a man of medium build, who appeared quite imposing and seemed to be around forty years old, dressed in a full suit of chainmail. He then knelt directly before him and loudly proclaimed: "I, Wu Sangui, the General of Liaodong, pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

Yang Feng bent down to help Wu Sangui while kindly saying

He pointed at the Huangdou Mountain and said

Miracles are more effective than anything else

Li Yutian acted swiftly, selecting five thousand elite soldiers by the next day. As the Governor of Liaodong, he already had a portion of troops under his command. In addition to the eight hundred cavalry brought by Yang Feng, he also selected five thousand from the newly recruited young men who had relocated, all of whom originally hailed from the areas around Ningyuan and Shahu. This brought the total to over ten thousand, forming a considerable force in the East Luo City of Shanhaiguan. However, the term 'elite' was merely a figure of speech; at this time, apart from Wu Sangui's household soldiers, there were hardly any true elites. As Yang Feng observed these soldiers clad in tattered cotton armor, carrying ancient matchlock guns, and wielding rusted goose-feather sabers along with bows, arrows, spears, and shields, he felt that his sky was already filled with gloom.

Certainly, this is sufficient for Yang Feng to demonstrate miracles

He said somewhat speechlessly

Yang Feng said with a solemn expression

The Great Ancestor has manifested, and the revival of our Ming Dynasty is in sight

Shut your mouth, this is not something you created. I am being forced by you. Moreover, you still have work to do. Although reality is like this, we still have to strive for the best possible outcome.