Chapter 2, Change

Beggar soldiers passed by Chen Wen one after another, with few speaking; most merely cast envious or respectful glances at Chen Wen before moving on. What puzzled Chen Wen was that the elder, whose face was shiny with grease and whose body was plump, kept staring at him from the moment he arrived until he left, as if looking at him a little longer could add two more pounds of fat to his body.

Upon hearing this, Chen Wen's first reaction was to run. In such chaotic times, even the regular army's discipline is not commendable, let alone these ragtag soldiers. As a lone traveler, it is naturally best to keep as far away from them as possible

However, he has recently been living a life of alternating hunger and feasting, and it is likely that his complexion cannot compare to that of the current "great commander"

It seems to be a significant matter. If it pertains to military intelligence, then delivering it to the Qing Dynasty would be a great achievement. However, we must first capture this fellow and interrogate him.

Southern Zhili is quite remarkable, especially Nanjing, which is the largest gathering place for the remnants of the Ming Dynasty during the early Qing period. It is not surprising for someone from Nanjing to meet Wang Yi. Moreover, during the Ming Dynasty, Southern Zhili included what is now Anhui, and the Tianjin dialect itself originates from the Suzhou dialect, so the accent is also acceptable

On the way, Chen Wen contemplated that although he had already planned to introduce himself as a person from Tianjin when meeting Wang Yi and Zheng Chenggong, saying so in the presence of unrelated individuals would instead draw excessive attention.

Chen Wenxin sneered inwardly. The nutritional standards for ordinary residents in the 21st century were likely only attainable by wealthy families in the 17th century. A modern individual who has grown up according to the nutritional intake standards of the 21st century will naturally have a significant physical advantage over those born and raised in chaotic times, who generally suffered from malnutrition during their growth in ancient times

Come on, let us face whatever comes our way, whether it be soldiers or water, we will deal with it as it comes

Wang Sheng looked down at Chen Wen from a high position and smiled. "Get up."

"Thank you, General Xie." Chen Wenchang stood up, lowered his head, and glanced sideways. The lackey had already sheathed his knife, and the others had returned to their previous state

Forget it, if I have to kneel, then so be it. Just look at this fellow's weight; he probably won't escape the catastrophe three months from now. Consider it an early tribute to the martyrs.

"General Wang, I am a person from Southern Zhili."

However, Chen Wen was well aware that feudal armies were still armies, and beggar soldiers were still soldiers. Creatures like Qiu Ba were not to be provoked even in times of peace, let alone in chaotic times. Adhering to the principle that it is better to avoid trouble than to invite it, he once again stood by the roadside without hesitation, allowing this group of beggar soldiers to pass first

Truly a hero

Wang Sheng feigned nonchalance and asked, "Brave warrior, having traveled a long distance, what important matter brings you here?"

Thank you for your trouble

Nanjing! Entrusted by someone! Seeking an audience with Wang Yi! At this critical moment, could it be military intelligence?

At this moment, the officer at the forefront, who was carrying a waist knife, stepped forward, one hand resting on the hilt of the knife and the other pointing forward, and loudly declared: "Let you know, this officer is none other than the trusted general under the command of the esteemed Lord Feng, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty, General Wang Sheng, also known as General Wang."

Well, let's speak frankly

Chen Wen has been in society for several years, so he has some understanding of people. The gaze of that elder made Chen Xi feel very uncomfortable, as if something was about to happen. Therefore, as soon as the last disciple of the Beggar's Sect passed by him, he immediately quickened his pace towards his intended direction

But the problem is that his two legs are definitely no match for the four-legged one on the opposite side, and just now, as he turned to the side, he clearly saw that the elder's mule was laden with a full quiver and bow... What if the opponent, at that moment, were to be possessed by the spirit of a flying general

It is truly maddening; what is the point of being distracted at this moment? The most important thing now is to quickly head to Dalan Mountain and then to Fujian. What is the use of wasting time here? I must swiftly rid myself of these people.

As for that so-called Lord Feng, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War under the Protectorate of Lu, he should be the Feng Jingdi who was betrayed by his subordinate and perished for his country during the Qing army's siege of Siming Mountain. By the way, what was the name of that subordinate who betrayed him? I need to think carefully about this.

Did not the ancients emphasize loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness? When entrusted by others to travel a thousand miles, a righteous person's impression should be sufficient for this general to allow himself to leave

At this moment, the lackey seemed to notice that Chen Wen was lost in thought, pressing down on the scabbard and drawing out more than half of the waist knife. "You scoundrel, why don't you kneel before my lord!"

The newcomer was a frail young man, running briskly while carrying a bamboo spear, still trying to catch his breath. He had originally been holding a spear, but upon hearing Chen Wen refer to him as a general, he immediately began to shake his hand rapidly, his face filled with embarrassment. "I cannot accept such a title, I cannot accept such a title, I am not a general at all. Um, my lord requests that you come over for a moment."

Where are the brave men from

As soon as the words fell, the sycophantic officer immediately drew his sword, and several of his personal guards also unsheathed their sabers. Even the soldiers who had originally been squatting on the ground gathered around, brandishing their bamboo spears.

I have long heard of the illustrious reputation of General Wang, which is as thunderous as it is renowned. I am Chen Wen, here to pay my respects to General Wang. Chen Wen adopted the posture seen in television dramas, kneeling respectfully and bowing his head. He continued, saying: "I never expected to have the honor of seeing General Wang in person. Just now, I was truly taken aback, and I hope General Wang will forgive my rudeness."

That image closely resembles the sycophant from the television series that Chen Wen has watched

Wang Sheng felt his heart racing faster and then sternly asked: "I, as the commander, am following the military orders of Wang Jinglüe and Minister Feng, to inspect the roads leading in and out of Siming Mountain. If you have any business, you must clarify it with me; otherwise, I cannot allow someone of your unclear background to ascend the mountain."

What should I do

Soon, Chen Wen followed the young soldier to the great commander he mentioned. A glance around revealed that the surrounding soldiers were either squatting, sitting, or even lying on the ground basking in the sun, while only a few officers, resembling personal guards with waist sabers, stood respectfully beside the elder.

But just at that moment, a voice suddenly sounded from a distance behind him

As Chen Wengang emerged from the bend in the mountain path, he saw in the distance a stout man riding a mule, accompanied by a group of beggar disciples carrying bamboo sticks behind him

Chen Wen pondered for a moment. He recalled having seen in a book that the relationship between Feng Jingdi and Wang Yi seemed to be quite good. After Feng Jingdi's forces were defeated in Huzhou, he joined Wang Yi at Siming Mountain to combine their troops. Although they later stationed in different locations, they still supported each other. Moreover, he remembered that Feng Jingdi and Wang Yi seemed to be fellow townsmen, sharing a common revolutionary goal, which should have made their relationship very strong.

Only when he got closer did Chen Wencai clearly see that most of the bamboo sticks held by the group of beggars had a rusted gun muzzle on them

What the hell, this person is really clueless, are you going to interfere even when I go to meet your boss's close associate

Chen Wen thought to himself, "Perhaps I can still scrounge some food, and I won't have to go to bed hungry tonight"

Nanzhili? A person traveling a thousand miles from Nanzhili to Siming Mountain must certainly have important matters to attend to

I have come here at the behest of another, to seek an audience with Wang Jinglüe at Mount Dalan.

Looking at this group of Ming Dynasty individuals before him, who were only about 1.6 meters tall or even less, thin and frail, Chen Wen suddenly recalled the joke that had once become quite famous online about Guan Yu and Takeda Shingen arranging a duel.

Thank you for the commendation, General Xie Wang

Thus, Chen Wen braced himself, bowed deeply, and said: "Although I am crude and unrefined, I have heard of General Wang's reputation for loyalty and integrity. Today, upon meeting you, it is indeed as the rumors say. This matter should not have caused you any difficulty, but I am acting on someone else's behalf, and in loyalty to that person, I had promised that this matter could only be known to General Wang. I hope you will be lenient in this regard, and I assure you that there will be a reward in the future."

Wow, so this is the bamboo spear, are we going to perform as the martial arts champion Su Qier?

Chen Wen stopped in his tracks, took a deep breath, turned around, and put on a courteous smile. "Excuse me, um, General, is there something I can assist you with"

Isn't it said that the feudal army even regulates defecation and flatulence? Why does it seem less strict than the military training during my school days

In that case, Wang Sheng squinted his eyes, looked around, and then sneered, "I see that you are clearly a spy. Seize this fellow for me!"

Chen Wenxin secretly laughed to himself. Throughout this journey, he had encountered several armies of this era, but none had been as pitiful as this one. Is this a military patrol? It is clearly a beggar gang parade.

In an instant, the few bodyguards standing around also drew their sabers, and even most of the soldiers who were squatting or sitting stood up.

It turns out that this elder riding a mule, no, it is the elder riding a horse who is also a guerrilla general. Chen Wen thought for a moment, during the late Ming Dynasty, it was common to refer to the commanding general stationed in a region as "Da Shuai" (Great Commander), and even if it was a flattering term, it would at most be used to address a deputy general.

Here comes Chen Wen

Unfortunately, this joke has evolved to the present day and has taken on a different flavor—each of the Takeda Mountain monkeys is now wearing height-increasing shoes, not only arriving as promised but also armed with weapons, while I, with my combat power far below even a fraction of that of the revered Guan Sheng Emperor, am left empty-handed.

A guerrilla general, and a grand marshal at that, what is he pretending to be, a big shot

The bright blade glimmered under the sunlight, and upon witnessing this, Chen Wen could not help but gasp in astonishment

Do not leave, you rascal

hero