Chapter 008: Great Chaos is About to Erupt, Where Shall We Go?

It is impossible

Xu Xingxia thought for a long time but could not come up with any good ideas. As a time traveler, he knew that Nurhaci and Li Zicheng were among the most formidable figures in history. At present, he had no intention of competing with these two great men. Those who believe that ancient people were fools are the real fools themselves. One can criticize them as much as they want, but cannot deny their capabilities. The wild boar skin was able to establish the Jin Dynasty, and Li Zicheng forced Emperor Chongzhen to commit suicide; these were all remarkable achievements of others. He, as a mere foot soldier, had no grounds to look down on others.

Wait a moment ... ...

Perhaps influenced by his son's provocation, Xu Fuqing's spirits remained relatively high. Regarding his son's issues, he answered as many questions as he could, based on what he knew. Although he had not achieved much and still held the status of a common soldier, he had served as a soldier for over thirty years and was knowledgeable about many matters. He had a sense that the resurgence and renewed glory of the Xu family rested upon his son.

Li Rusong's idea is commendable; however, the overall commander of Ningxia Town is unable to achieve this. It is understandable, as cultivating a skilled cavalry is no easy task. The cost of one cavalryman is equivalent to that of five infantrymen. Li Chengliang has invested so much in terms of manpower, financial resources, and materials, yet he has only forged eight thousand iron cavalry.

Such thoughts, he only occasionally entertained while playing games. Now, in a real historical world, it is indeed a bit abrupt for him to contemplate these matters. After all, he is merely a lowly soldier at present; is it not too difficult to aspire to become a powerful lord commanding a great army? This is not a game!

The struggles of the upper echelons are beyond the control of those at the lower levels, who can only passively await the arrival of tragedy. However, what if one possesses the ability to influence the upper political landscape? Would that not deter those in power from taking action against oneself? Figures such as Nurhaci, Wei Zhongxian, and Li Zicheng had the power to shape their own destinies and determine their own lives and deaths. So why can’t one influence their fates and decide their lives and deaths?

Suddenly, Xu Xingxia realized something

Niu Niu, wearing her newly bought cloth shoes, approached Xu Xingxia and said with anticipation. Due to her happiness, a hint of pink could be seen on her little face. This was the first time Xu Xingxia had seen a normal girl's complexion on her face.

The yard outside is bustling with activity. The women are kneading dough, Uncle Guangliang and Dachun are chopping meat, while Xiaochun is in charge of tending the fire. The younger siblings are assisting nearby. Their spirits are high, and they are particularly energetic in their tasks. The wrinkles on Mother Wang's face have noticeably diminished. Xu Xingxia glanced around and, realizing there was no opportunity for him to intervene, simply returned to his room, sitting on the earthen kang, lost in thought.

Do not be deceived by the current appearance of the Ming Dynasty, which seems calm on the surface; in reality, chaos is about to erupt, and its downfall is imminent. Xu Xingxia is unaware of what the situation in Ningxia will be like when the turmoil occurs. At that time, what will he do? Surrender to the Manchus? Leave behind a financial burden? Or is it better to die? Anyone can take on any role, but one must never become a traitor to the Han people! Align with Li Zicheng? Better not, as he is ultimately destined for failure. It is better to die. Anyone can take on any role, but one must never become a traitor to the Han people! Align with Li Zicheng? Better not, as he is ultimately destined for failure.

Xu Xingxia suddenly felt a severe headache.

Xu Fuqing just mentioned Li Rusong, which reminded him of many things. The first person that came to his mind was Nurhaci. It was on the first day of the first month of this year, the 44th year of the Wanli era (1616 AD), that Nurhaci, clad in wild boar skin, established the Great Jin Dynasty in Hetu Ala. The subsequent history is well-known to most. The Great Jin Dynasty grew stronger with each battle, while the Ming army became increasingly weaker. Ultimately, the Qing army launched a large-scale invasion, pacifying the Central Plains and establishing the Qing Dynasty. It was on the first day of the first month of this year, the 44th year of the Wanli era (1616 AD), that Nurhaci, clad in wild boar skin, established the Great Jin Dynasty in Hetu Ala. The subsequent history is well-known to most. The Great Jin Dynasty grew stronger with each battle, while the Ming army became increasingly weaker. Ultimately, the Qing army launched a large-scale invasion, pacifying the Central Plains and establishing the Qing Dynasty

However, another voice immediately sprang up in his mind. That voice was fervently persuading him to consider Xu Xingxia. What if he were not just a lowly soldier? What if he were a great general, or even a commander-in-chief? If he were a warlord commanding a substantial army, would he not be able to preserve his family and protect his loved ones?

Brother, how do you find the shoes that Mother bought for Niuniu?

Xu Xingxia furrowed his brows and said: "Since we have so many people, how can we not be able to fight? Can't we organize a strong army to engage the Tartars in open battle in the northern desert? Must we just watch helplessly as the Tartars descend southward to plunder us?"

Xu Xingxia could not help but ask: "Father, who has more people, us or the Tatars?"

Xu Fuqing said helplessly: "Your idea is good, but unfortunately it is not realistic! The cavalry skills of the Tartars are formidable. In a mounted confrontation, our cavalry is simply no match for them. They come and go like the wind, and we can hardly catch them. When we have a large number of people, they do not appear. When we are few, we suffer their ambushes. They leave no trace, and no matter how many people we have, we are powerless against them." When we have a large number of people, they do not appear. When we are few, we suffer their ambushes. They leave no trace, and no matter how many people we have, we are powerless against them.

In his rambling thoughts, he unexpectedly recalled a person, that is Wei Zhongxian. In a few years, Emperor Wanli would pass away, marking the end of the Wanli dynasty. The succeeding Emperor Taichang, less than a month after his ascension, died in the embrace of a woman. Following him was Emperor Tianqi, the greatest carpenter since Lu Ban. There was nothing particularly remarkable about an emperor being a carpenter; the issue was that he completely entrusted all major affairs of the court to Wei Zhongxian to handle

Shh ... ...

The fates of Nurhaci, Wei Zhongxian, and Li Zicheng are beyond my control. As a mere lowly soldier, how could I possibly influence their destinies? Any one of them could easily crush me with a mere gesture, a thousand times easier than squashing an ant.

Your thoughts align perfectly with those of Lord Li. However, Lord Li does not know that our Ningxia Town is fundamentally unable to organize such a powerful cavalry. He has thousands of personal attendants, all of whom are cavalry, and thus he is naturally qualified to say so. Our commander in Ningxia Town does not possess such capability. If one day we truly have a strong and elite cavalry, perhaps your ideas could be realized

Xu Xingxia pondered, nodding thoughtfully from time to time

The matter of Wei Zhongxian is, I believe, unnecessary to elaborate on. The only question is, once Wei Zhongxian rises to power, what will Xu Xingxia do? Will he align himself with the eunuchs? Will he resist the eunuchs? Aligning with the eunuchs, after Emperor Chongzhen ascends the throne, will certainly lead to his family being exterminated. However, not aligning with the eunuchs may also result in his family being exterminated in the blink of an eye. The struggles among these upper-class figures are completely beyond the control of a mere soldier like him.

Li Rusong is a well-known figure. He is the son of Li Chengliang! According to the research conducted by the historian Mingyue, despite being a second-generation official and a second-generation wealthy individual, this man possesses considerable military skills. Since he has made such a statement, it is evident that there is an underlying rationale. From the perspective of military strategy, offense is the best form of defense. By taking the initiative to strike and incapacitating the Tatars, they would naturally eliminate any opportunity to disturb Ningxia Town.

... ...

It is too absurd

What Xu Xingxia most wants to know is actually the overall structure of Ningxia Town, as well as the activity patterns of the Tatars. Those damned Tatars descend southward to plunder every year; although their numbers are not large, they pose a significant disturbance to the northern part of Ningxia Town. The Xu family's land is located north of Weizhen Fort, an area frequently harassed by the Tatars. If there is no way to prevent the Tatar cavalry from moving south, even a few scattered Tatar cavalry could lead to catastrophic consequences

Of course they are beautiful. Niu Niu's shoes have always been the most beautiful. Xu Xingxia said with a smile. He crouched down and carefully brushed off a bit of dust from the cloth shoes. This way, the cloth shoes appeared even cleaner.

Seeing the lively and joyous scene outside, Xu Xingxia felt a shadow over his heart. Beyond Shanhaiguan, wild boars and the Manchus were causing disturbances, continuously weakening the strength of the Ming Dynasty. Soon, within the pass, in nearby Shaanxi, there would be popular uprisings led by figures such as Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng, and Zhang Xianzhong, further dragging the Ming Dynasty into the abyss

Suddenly, Xu Xingxia found himself subconsciously shaking his head

When it came to the current situation, Xu Fuqing became disheartened. The lower-ranking soldiers at that time, along with the scholars, were only concerned about their rations and when they would be distributed, showing little interest in the broader political landscape. Today, he had only brought it up with Xu Xingxia on a whim. Upon noticing his father's lack of interest, Xu Xingxia exchanged a few casual words before carrying his father back to his own room and then took his leave.

In fact, when the Baibai rebellion was launched in the past, the general sent to suppress the rebellion, Lord Li, namely General Li Rusong, once stated that the only way to protect Ningxia from disturbances was to have a cavalry force that was more elite than the Tatars, relentlessly pursuing and striking them until they were completely eradicated. Otherwise, merely fortifying and defending would only address the symptoms rather than the root cause, wasting manpower and resources in vain.

Seeing the cloth shoes that their mother bought for them, Dongzi and Niuniu hurried to the water tank, washed their feet as clean as possible, and then dried them. They eagerly tried on the newly purchased cloth shoes. Soon, the two of them were walking back and forth in front of everyone, wearing their brand new cloth shoes. Just by looking at their expressions, one could tell that the shoes must be very comfortable.

Xu Fuqing immediately laughed and shook his head, saying: "What more is there to say? Naturally, it is because we have more people! The number of us from the Central Plains is dozens or even hundreds of times that of the Tartars! Just in Ningxia Town alone, we have over a million people! The total number of Tartars, when added up, is estimated to be only a few million!"

Niu Niu was very satisfied with her brother's answer. She turned around, wearing cloth shoes, and went to show off in front of others. Xu Xingxia watched her back and gently shook his head. Just a pair of very ordinary cloth shoes, worth only a few coins, made a little girl so happy. Sigh, what kind of life did the Xu family lead in the past