Chapter 002: When the Pot is Broken, Let it Fall Apart

Beside him, Wang Cheng'en gasped in shock

Yang Feng silently questions the heavens

Yang Feng let out another cry of indignation in his heart

His defection to Wu Sangui indeed poses the risk of provoking the wrath of the latter, who might act out of anger for a beautiful woman. However, if he were to defect to Liu Zeqing, would he not also risk being presented as a gift to Li Zicheng or the Qing army? Even if that risk did not exist, there remains the danger of being treated like the Han Emperor Xian by Liu. In any case, at this moment, no matter whom one chooses to side with, it is unsafe. Among the four garrisons in Jiangbei, apart from Gao Jie, who has been humiliated by Li Zicheng, the rest are all mere fence-sitters.

The eunuch Wang perspired slightly

Xiao Qian said

Indeed, this is largely because Yang Feng has adopted a reckless attitude, as he is already in hell mode. This means that the hope for the launch tower is slim. Given this situation, he might as well go to Shanhaiguan and see if he can block the Qing army. Whether he can reclaim the old territories can be set aside for now; the most important thing is to prevent the Qing army from entering the pass. This world can be given to Li Zicheng, to Zhang Xianzhong, or to those scoundrels of the Southern Ming, but it must never fall into the hands of the Tartars.

At this moment, Gao Jie is in Zezhou

Lead the way!

Yang Feng felt a moment of melancholy, but ultimately accepted reality, just like the Monkey King, as he carried his streetlight pole and walked on

Old Wang is the most understanding person; everything about him is tied to Chongzhen. As long as Chongzhen is alive, there is no need to pay attention to anything else

Old Wu did not initially intend to surrender to the Qing. His subordinates, both military and civilian, harbored deep animosity towards the Qing army. Positioned between Li Zicheng and the Qing forces, he was bound to choose one to ally with. Compared to Li Zicheng, it was evident that the Qing army, with which he had fought for many years, seemed more reliable to him. However, if at that moment, Chongzhen were to escape to his army, whether Old Wu would surrender to the Qing would become a matter of debate. If Chongzhen resolutely refused to surrender to the Qing, then Old Wu would have to risk being labeled a rebel if he chose to surrender to the Qing.

Xiao Qian answered

Ah, he still has a time limit of twenty years

He threw the pillar aside without hesitation and then asked with great anticipation

Yang Feng inquired

Yang Feng sighed and said, "Let's talk about it then!"

At this moment, Xiao Qian asked

Kill them all!

It is very difficult. First, I must find the Gatling gun for you. Second, I have to expend a tremendous amount of energy to establish a temporary wormhole. Third, the time in the two universes does not synchronize, which means that even if I spend a day finding it for you, by that time, you may no longer need it. In short, such things are rare and cannot be sought after; at least, the possibility is quite low at present.

This is a matter of principle

As for the future

No, I will wear this outfit!

There is no need to choose; of course, we should seek out Wu Sangui. Do you think Liu Zeqing is more reliable, or are Wu Sangui's Guanning Iron Cavalry more dependable?

Go

At that moment, a meteor streaked across the sky, and suddenly a strange luminous sphere appeared at the point of impact. In the next instant, the sphere vanished in a flash, and a silvery metallic tubular object materialized out of thin air, clattering as it fell to the ground

He let out a long howl of grief and indignation towards the sky

Yang Feng said fiercely

I have already seen it. The Emperor Taizu reproached me for my unworthiness, for neglecting the world. Therefore, he commanded me to return and regroup, to fight to the death against that rebel. Even if blood is shed on the battlefield, I shall not betray the ancestral temple and the state. Do you wish to join me in breaking out of this city of Beijing?

Wang Cheng'en did not dare to say more

Then a female voice spoke

And indeed, it was Chongzhen whose soul was devoured by him

Your Majesty, shall we change our clothes first

Your Majesty, you should say "I"; you are the current sovereign, the Emperor of our Great Ming, the ruler of this world and the supreme authority over the four seas. I have served you my entire life, and naturally, I am well aware of these matters.

Indeed, this object is just barely manageable with a grip of seventy, with a wall thickness of six millimeters. The weight of a four-meter segment at this time can certainly be classified as a heavy weapon. While it cannot compare to Li Yuanba, it is nonetheless at the level of a real-life Li Cunxiao... But the problem is...

On March 19, 1644, after the Dashun army breached the city of Beijing, he arrived in this time and space, then devoured the soul of Chongzhen, who had committed suicide by hanging, and borrowed the latter's body. After reviving this body, he was rescued from the noose by Wang Cheng'en, who was originally prepared to hang himself. He then needed to construct a gigantic pyramid exceeding 140 meters in height, built with over 2 million massive stones, with a total weight exceeding 7 million tons

Whether it is a scam or not, he has no other choice anyway. Not wanting to be trapped in this time and space forever, he decided to take the plunge and fight for his life. With this thought in mind, he picked up the sword and fiercely struck at the old locust tree, which was as thick as his waist. The miracle of cutting through did not occur; instead, a strange metallic snapping sound was heard. The sword blade, after penetrating nearly 5 centimeters into the trunk, was directly twisted off by his strength and the resistance of the trunk, leaving him with only a broken sword hilt in his hand.

Moreover, to be honest, Wu Sangui is certainly more reliable than Liu Zeqing. The Guanning Iron Cavalry is undoubtedly competent in battle, whereas Liu Zeqing's forces are nothing but a bunch of useless individuals

Yang Feng silently threw the sword to the ground

Are you saying that I resemble a ghost

Yang Feng pointed forward with his right hand, which was carrying the streetlight pole

Therefore, it is necessary to leave the city

Where shall we go

Isn't it so? Can't you really send me a Gatling gun? Look, even the American TV shows from the 1960s can do it. Can't you keep up with the imagination of Americans from the 1960s?

Alright, let's first take a look at our weapons

He certainly does not want to associate with those from the Southern Ming. It is possible that he might die from anger before the Qing army even arrives. Moreover, whether he and Wang Cheng'en have the ability to survive and reach Linqing is still uncertain. At this time, the area around Beijing has completely fallen into the hands of Li Zicheng. Who knows how many ambushes and blockades await along the way? Although defecting to Wu Sangui carries the risk of later surrendering to the Qing, the route to Shanhaiguan has not yet been secured by the Qing forces. Furthermore, Wu Sangui learned of the fall of Beijing while in Tangshan, which means he could encounter trouble along the way, while Liu Zeqing is in Linqing. It goes without saying which is closer, Tangshan or Linqing.

Yang Feng looked at the dragon robe he was wearing and said

Go

Excuse me, how do I get to Fengrun from Tangshan?

Yang Feng said

Do you know who I am

Yang Feng looked at Wang Cheng'en with a blank expression and said

This, this, this, this is a streetlight pole!

Wang Cheng'en lay on the ground and said

Wang Cheng'en followed behind in a somewhat dazed manner

Can you get me a Gatling gun

I really want to kill you

Let's talk about it later

What if Wu Sangui were to surrender to the Qing?

Yes, this is the only one nearby, but it is much more useful than that pole of yours

This person is indeed Wang Cheng'en

What a disappointment!

I vow to follow Your Majesty unto death

His Majesty the Emperor, amidst the astonished gaze of Wang Cheng'en, lifted a wooden pillar nearly three meters high and thicker than a thigh, and said

A female voice said

Wang Cheng'en inquired

Your Majesty, you just said to break out, are you not going to meet Emperor Taizu?

He had no other choice but to escape from Beijing as quickly as possible. As for hiding and then finding an opportunity to sneak out, that was out of the question. He was wearing the skin of Chongzhen, and all the soldiers of the Shun army, along with those turncoats, numbering over a hundred thousand, were watching him. Moreover, which of the surrendered Jinyiwei and officials did not recognize him? If he stayed in Beijing, he would be exposed within three days, and whether it would be a hanging, poison, or roasting would depend on Li Zicheng's mood. All the soldiers of the Shun army, along with those turncoats, numbering over a hundred thousand, were watching him. Moreover, which of the surrendered Jinyiwei and officials did not recognize him? If he stayed in Beijing, he would be exposed within three days, and whether it would be a hanging, poison, or roasting would depend on Li Zicheng's mood.

You may address me however you wish

Your Majesty, we can head straight north through the North An Gate and then proceed to the An Ding Gate, or we can exit east through the East Straight Gate and then head towards the main road of Tongzhou, crossing the Yonghe River to go north. However, in my humble opinion, it would be best for Your Majesty to exit through the An Ding Gate. Although taking the East Straight Gate is indeed a main road, it requires passing through the cities of Tongzhou and Zhangjiawan, which the bandit troops have certainly occupied by now. Exiting through the An Ding Gate leads directly to Shunyi, and while going to Fengrun would require a detour, it would allow us to avoid the bandit troops.

That direction is one he can never reach, no matter what.

Yang Feng said with satisfaction

Reduce clarity

People these days are still quite sensitive about this matter

What a disappointment!

Wang Cheng'en said cautiously

In the foolish gaze of Wang Cheng'en, Yang Feng stepped forward and embraced him with both hands

Therefore, it is most reasonable to support Wu Sangui's rebellion

You have two choices. The first is to head east to Tianjin and then move south. The closest to you is Liu Zeqing's troops, who are in Linqing, and then continue your escape south to Nanjing to confront the Qing army entering the pass as the emperor. However, this route is dangerous, as there is no guarantee that the Shun army does not control the southern route at this time. The second option is to head north to Shanhaiguan. At this time, Wu Sangui is moving south to rescue Beijing, and you may encounter him on the way. The advantage is that there is basically no danger along the route, but afterwards, you will be trapped in Shanhaiguan.

Wang Cheng'en knelt down once again and said

He walked down towards the coal mountain with his hands behind his back, but stopped after taking only a few steps

I cannot, but I can give you this

Do you need weapons

Damn it

What is your name

Call her Xiaoqian

After walking just a few steps, Yang Feng stopped again

Get up

Yang Feng, who was just holding onto the pillar and waving, suddenly stopped

Meanwhile, Yang Feng suddenly glanced at the small pavilion beside him. Before Wang Cheng'en could react, His Majesty the Emperor suddenly lifted his foot and forcefully kicked one of the pillars. Then, without hesitation, the pillar tilted, causing the entire pavilion to collapse with a loud crash

After Yang Feng finished speaking, he looked around and couldn't help but feel a moment of melancholy. His weapons consisted of a sword, which was likely the one carried by Chongzhen, and a knife, presumably belonging to Wang Cheng'en. Surprisingly, there was also a piece of high-tech equipment, an exquisitely crafted ancient flintlock pistol, which was clearly also Wang Cheng'en's, as Chongzhen would certainly not personally carry a firearm and pull the trigger. Altogether, these three items constituted his entire arsenal, and he had to rely on them, along with a eunuch who certainly could not possess the strength of an Eastern girl, to break out of Beijing, while his enemies numbered over a hundred thousand troops.

This thing is better than a sword

Yang Feng inquired

Of course, let's set aside the pyramids for now; for the moment, let us focus on how to survive in this city of Beijing.

Wang Cheng'en woke up and quickly said

First, you must return, so it is best for you to consider the present. What choice are you prepared to make in the present?