Chapter 1, Plan

Behind him, a group of ragged, emaciated soldiers either hung their heads or dragged their rusted bamboo spears along the ground, following the "mule" with a slow, defeated gait as if they had just lost a battle

Reflecting on that period, one could be as carefree as one wished, rummaging through the homes of the local peasants when food was scarce; after satisfying one's hunger, one would bask in the sun in the village; and if in the mood, one might venture out to entertain oneself with a few young women.

As for the issue of hair, will it still be a matter by then? Just shave it all off and buy a few strands of hair to braid and stick on the head, a counterfeit version of a money mouse tail, the materials and labor won't cost much at all

At that time, it is likely that sweeping the world will be nothing more than a trivial matter

Even so, he made a guest appearance as a teacher and encountered countless times as a merchant who survived bandit attacks. In this way, relying on a sharp tongue and acting skills that were still not sufficient to qualify as a background actor, Chen Wen managed to hold on until now

In the blink of an eye, it was last year when the Qing Dynasty's strict recruitment began to send envoys to the various mountain strongholds and islands in eastern Zhejiang. From that time on, noble officials such as Marquis Kaiyuan Wu Kai, Earl Yian Gu Qixun, and Marquis Dingyuan Shi Zhongfang, as well as civil officials like Lü Yicheng and Gao Shuxun, successively surrendered to the Qing. As for those holding the titles of general, commander, and deputy general, they were even more numerous.

What hairstyle I choose is my freedom; I am not some village girl named Xiaofang. I have no intention of keeping long braids, so why should you from the Qing dynasty force me to keep that rat tail

On the small path in the mountains, Xue Ao, the guerrilla leader of Siming Mountain, rode slowly on a nag that was hardly larger than a mule.

Yes, it will arrive soon

Upon arriving in Fujian, he should first find a place to lie low. After confirming that Zheng Chenggong has returned to drive out the Qing army that invaded Zhongzuo, he can then go to offer his allegiance.

Once he has enough funds, Chen Wen believes that he can confidently head to Fujian

During that period, Wang Sheng also had some thoughts. However, he was merely a guerrilla general, holding a lowly official position, with only a little over 200 soldiers under his command, lacking food and supplies, and there was no substantial benefit to be gained by seeking allegiance.

Considering that there should be little business this year. By next year, Zheng Chenggong will have achieved three major victories in Cizao, Qianshan, and Xiaoyingling, and he can rely entirely on the historical knowledge he gained from previously participating in forums to make a modest contribution.

Fortunately, it is not far from the destination of the first phase of the plan he previously established

However, throughout these days, what puzzled Wang Sheng the most was that the area he was inspecting had previously been under the defense of Liu Dadao. Although he encountered some people from Dalan Mountain along the way, they were all subordinates of Mao Jingang. Could it be that Wang Jinglue is about to take action again

Chen Wen remembered that he had once seen a statement online, which claimed that Zheng Chenggong had two opportunities in his life to change the course of Chinese history. The first was the attack on Guangdong by Li Dingguo, and the second was the Battle of Nanjing, which went smoothly in the early stages but suddenly exploded in the later stages

At this moment, Wang Sheng had already heard the low murmurs of complaints from the soldiers behind him. It was noon, and it was indeed not advisable to continue on. He then turned around and shouted loudly: "Come to the bend ahead, there is a grove; we will rest there for an hour"

Thank you, General Xie

As Wang Sheng turned his head back, he saw in the distance at the corner, a tall man with short hair, dressed in peculiar attire resembling that of a beggar, striding towards him with great strides

Even so, Wang Sheng still felt that the chances of the Qing dynasty winning were somewhat greater. After all, the Ming army could only garrison in the mountainous areas of the entire Zhejiang province, so finding a way to surrender to the Qing was the only way to survive

According to the previously established plan, Chen Wen first needed to travel to Dalan Mountain Village in the Siming Mountain area, seeking to meet with the highest commander of the Ming army in the Siming Mountain region, Wang Yi, who was appointed as the Left Vice Minister of the Military Affairs Department and the Left Deputy Commander by the Lu Jianguo during the imperial court's enfeoffment. Subsequently, relying on his memory of the historical military situation during the Qing army's attack on Siming Mountain, he aimed to exchange information for sufficient funds to reach the Central Left Office in Fujian. Finally, he intended to leave the Siming Mountain area before September.

The great general loves his soldiers as if they were his own children

As for the true fate of a small braid, let's just forget about it. The numerous stylists of domestic television dramas have repeatedly demonstrated through one braid-themed show after another that, although the pig-tail braids of the late Qing Dynasty are quite unappealing, they are still better than the purely barbaric style of the money rat tail, even if just a little bit better

As we have traveled this far, it is not to say that there are no spies, but even the bandits and rogue soldiers are nowhere to be seen. Upon reflection, this is quite normal; ever since Wang Yi captured Shangyu for the second time last year and defeated the Qing army in Fenghua, the clerks responsible for tax collection in the various counties around Siming Mountain have not dared to venture into the countryside. Aside from the envoys who come and go under the pretext of not harming messengers, who would take the risk of coming here for no reason

Thinking of this, Chen Wen threw the last small piece of dry food into his mouth and rose into the air. With one more day's journey ahead, he tightened his belt and drank a bit more water, and he would soon arrive.

In this way, it is likely that even if I return, I will be regarded as a beggar

The blazing sun is like fire; fortunately, we are in the mountains, where the cool mountain breeze can still disperse some of the heat waves

In May of this year, the envoy of Yan Zhao Fu ascended Dalan Mountain, where he was executed by the left commander Huang Zhongdao of Wang Jinglue's department. After this incident, it seemed that the Qing court was no longer very concerned about the matter of appeasement. This caused Wang Sheng great anxiety; if the Qing court ceased its efforts for appeasement, it was likely that a military campaign would soon follow, leaving him with relatively little time to make a choice

"Damn it." Wang Sheng thought to himself

It is now June, the peak of the farming season. Wang Jinglue assigned a task to Deputy Minister Feng to patrol certain areas, aimed at preventing anyone from plundering the common people or sending spies into the mountains. Deputy Minister Feng then delegated part of this task to himself, following the customary practice in officialdom, intending to pass the task down to the lowest-ranking officers. However, this scoundrel Feng Jingdi actually made me, a dignified guerrilla general, personally undertake the duties of a chief officer, which is truly an affront to my dignity. Deputy Minister Feng then delegated part of this task to himself, following the customary practice in officialdom, intending to pass the task down to the lowest-ranking officers. However, this scoundrel Feng Jingdi actually made me, a dignified guerrilla general, personally undertake the duties of a chief officer, which is truly an affront to my dignity.

In that case, Chen Wen felt that if he could play a role in this and gain the trust of the Zheng Group, leading a faction, he could then embark on the development of Hainan Island or Taiwan, organize the Spanish grand formation, and establish a fast track for modern cavalry.

Forget it, on such a hot day, adults should not hold grudges against children. In a couple of days, when we reach a place farther from Dalan Mountain, it would be best to find a young lady to enjoy ourselves.

By the edge of the forest, Chen Wen looked at the reflection in the stream, shaking his head and giving a self-deprecating smile

By the way, there is also Shi Lang. I remember that he seems to have defected to the Qing Dynasty next year. If things go well, we can conveniently keep General Shi Lang under wraps at that time, to avoid causing trouble for future generations, and to spare the need to specifically produce a television series about him

Even if Wang Yi needs time to verify the authenticity of the message, I still have two months, which is more than enough time

His hair was disheveled like a chicken coop, and the dirt on his face was washed away in streaks by sweat; the suit he had changed into to meet a major client was now tattered and worn, with only the relatively intact pocket allowing Chen Wen to bear the pain of its former price; the pair of straw sandals he had exchanged for from a farmer had already revealed toes peeking out from his socks, while the soles of his feet, thanks to increasingly thick calluses, had become the only part of his body that had not grown thinner but rather thicker. The relatively intact pocket allowed Chen Wen to bear the pain of its former price; the pair of straw sandals he had exchanged for from a farmer had already revealed toes peeking out from his socks, while the soles of his feet, thanks to increasingly thick calluses, had become the only part of his body that had not grown thinner but rather thicker.

Unfortunately, within Feng Jingdi's army, in addition to his own subordinates, there were over 1,000 soldiers belonging to other generals, which left him with no certainty of capturing Feng Jingdi

Not long after, some civil officials and scholars of the Ming Dynasty began to attempt to manage this land. On the Four Ming Mountains, it seemed as if the atmosphere had suddenly changed; some referred to themselves as generals or commanders, while others called themselves censors or vice-ministers. Everyone appeared to be chasing the trend of the time, each transforming into officials of the Ming Dynasty. Wang Sheng also followed the trend and, along with his subordinates, joined the righteous army led by the renowned figure Feng Jing of the Donglin Restoration Society.

Better dead than unfree

The great leader is wise

... ...

Since the collapse of Jiang Shang's forces, a large number of either defeated soldiers, or volunteer troops, or bandits, or armed groups with no clear affiliation have flooded into the Siming Mountain area. At that time, the Qing army was busy pursuing, while the Ming army was busy fleeing, leaving no one with the energy to pay attention to this place. It was also during this time that Wang Sheng established a stronghold here

Today is June 27, and it has been exactly five days since entering the mountains. If calculated from the time of arriving in this era, it has already been more than ten days.

Chen Wen remembered that the villager had mentioned passing the turn ahead, continuing straight, and after another day's journey, they would reach Dalan Mountain

He pondered back and forth, always feeling that if he could achieve a great feat, such as capturing Minister Feng to defect to the Qing Dynasty, it might be possible for him to become a real guerrilla general with substantial power in the Qing, or at least a garrison commander. That would certainly be much better than being a well-known but ineffective guerrilla general of the waning Ming Dynasty.

In recent days, Chen Wen has very few items left that he can use for barter. From a shoulder bag, a neutral pen, and keys to leather shoes and a wallet, he has even sold his power bank as a paperweight to a family with young children. If he were not afraid of being regarded as a rogue, he would have even considered exchanging his belt for food supplies.

Amidst the uneven flattery, there was a shared sense of lethargy, which left Wang Sheng feeling quite displeased