Chapter 002: The Young General

Zhu Dashou? Uncle? With a loud bang, Zhu Bin's head felt as if it had exploded; he finally realized who this young general was, and he finally understood why these twenty-one riders were in such a hurry

At that time, Wu Sangui's father, Wu Xiang, was already a deputy general, frequently dispatched to carry out missions. Wu Xiang led several hundred men out of the city for reconnaissance and suddenly encountered tens of thousands of Later Jin troops. The Later Jin general did not take the few hundred Ming soldiers seriously and adopted a strategy of encirclement without assault, forcing them to surrender

Upon seeing his father surrounded, Wu Sangui was filled with anxiety and urgency. He knelt before his uncle, pleading for troops to rescue his father. Zu Dashou, aware of the significant disparity in troop strength between the two sides, was hesitant to engage in battle. He stated, "As I hold a crucial responsibility for the borders, how can I act recklessly? If we suffer a defeat, where shall I place the blame?" Despite Wu Sangui's repeated requests, Zu Dashou remained unyielding.

The Youth of Wu Sangui

When Zhu Bin stood up, he felt a moment of confusion. The research lab of Dr. Chen, who held a doctorate, must have been destroyed, which meant he could never return to his own era. In this unfamiliar time, what could he possibly do?

At this moment, Zhu Bin had once again reverted to his cunning nature from his military academy days. Without a moment's hesitation, he lied, saying: "Returning General, I am called Zhu Bin. I am an ordinary commoner. The Tartars... oh, no, the troops of the Later Jin have plundered my home, and I have nowhere to go, therefore..."

Zhu Bin let out a long sigh in his heart. He never expected that upon arriving in this era, the first person he would encounter would be the historically infamous traitor, Wu Sangui. However, the current Wu Sangui had nothing to do with the name of a traitor. Zhu Bin thought to himself and couldn't help but ask, "Are you General Wu Sangui?"

What time is it now? Did the Manchu Tartars really overthrow the Ming Dynasty? Zhu Bin knows nothing at all. He picked up a military knife and walked forward unconsciously, not even knowing where he was headed.

Wu Sangui, riding on horseback, was momentarily stunned. Although he was in the military and enjoyed the favor and resources of his uncle, Grand Master Zhu, he held no official position. The title of "general" was merely a pleasant appellation; to put it plainly, he was just an unnamed soldier. Yet, the youth before him, who was roughly the same age, had unexpectedly called out his name.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, he suddenly saw dozens of swift riders charging towards him. Zhu Bin intended to evade, but it was already too late. Twenty-one swift riders had completely surrounded him. The leading figure, a young general of about eighteen or nineteen years, with an extraordinary presence, shouted sternly: "Who goes there, and how did you come to be here?"

At last, Wu Sangui wept bitterly and said, "If the general refuses to send troops, I will lead my household guards to die in rescue of my father." Zu Dashou seemed to respond affirmatively, though ambiguously. He believed that Wu Sangui would certainly be unable to provide assistance, but Wu Sangui immediately replied, "As you command!" He stood up, turned around, and descended from the city tower, leading 20 household guards out of the city to rescue his father

In the second month of the third year of the Chongzhen era, Zu Dashou led his troops out of the Great Wall and advanced north to Jianchang. The city is surrounded by mountains and rolling hills, connecting to the Mongolian Karaqin and other regions to the northwest. Huang Taiji took a detour through Mongolia to enter the pass and return north, with Jianchang being one of the places he passed through. The Ming troops gathered here, intending to cut off the retreat route of the Later Jin forces

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Wu Sangui asked suspiciously as he scrutinized Zhu Bin.

Wu Xiang had no intention of surrendering; only by breaking through could he escape the perilous situation. He and his subordinates hurriedly fled, while the forces of the Later Jin quickly surrounded them; if they moved slowly, the encirclement would tighten. Even as they approached the city, Wu Xiang still could not shake off the encirclement by the Later Jin troops. Zu Dashou gazed from the city tower and realized the overwhelming strength of the Later Jin forces. If the Ming troops were to launch an attack, it would be like striking a rock with an egg; should they suffer a complete defeat and lose the city, it would be an unforgivable crime. He could not save Wu Xiang and had no choice but to resign himself to fate. Zu Dashou gazed from the city tower and realized the overwhelming strength of the Later Jin forces. If the Ming troops were to launch an attack, it would be like striking a rock with an egg; should they suffer a complete defeat and lose the city, it would be an unforgivable crime. He could not save Wu Xiang and had no choice but to resign himself to fate

It is the Tartars, it is the Manchu Tartars

Wu Sangui

The cavalry led by Wu Sangui must have been on a mission to rescue his father, Wu Xiang

Before the transmission, Dr. Chen specially designed a set of Ming dynasty clothing for Zhu Bin, modeled after historical texts. Wearing this outfit does not seem out of place in this era. He checked his gear, and everything was in order. Zhu Bin carefully concealed the pistol and the medicine close to his body before standing up.

Zhu Bin let out a long breath; the time machine had already undergone a change. Instead of being sent to the era of King Yan, he was transported to the late Ming Dynasty. Zhu Bin looked around and found that there was not a single living person, only corpses.

"The despicable thieves, who have burned my homeland and insulted my people, I shall surely kill them!" The young general said with resentment while on horseback: "You go ahead; just behind us is a city under the control of my Ming army. Go to the city and pay your respects to the commander, who is my uncle, General Zu Dashou. Just say that I sent you, and he will surely make proper arrangements for you..."

Zhu Bin immediately realized he had let something slip, and hurriedly fabricated an excuse: "I am also a person from the middle and later ranks of the thousand households. The general achieved the martial examination at the age of sixteen, and there are many tales about this in the village. On the day the general returned in glory, I watched from a distance and admired the general's dignity. I recognized you just now, which is why I dared to ask a question."

The historical materials on the Ming Dynasty prepared by Doctor Chen for Zhu Bin finally proved to be useful. This person is Wu Sangui, the nephew of Zu Dashou, one of the four fierce generals under Yuan Chonghuan, who passed the military examination at the age of sixteen. Zhu Bin quietly observed Wu Sangui, noting his prominent earlobes, high nose bridge, radiant complexion, and a pair of bright, spirited eyes, clearly a young and handsome general

Wu Sangui finally felt relieved, nodded, and was about to speak when suddenly one of his household servants shouted and unexpectedly fell from his horse. This sudden turn of events left Wu Sangui at a loss.

No, they cannot be referred to as the Manchu Tartars at this time; they should be called the Later Jin soldiers instead

Zhu Bin, who woke up from a coma, was astonished to find himself surrounded by corpses. Judging by their attire, these deceased individuals were all soldiers. The time set by the time machine was June 13, 1403, the day when Jinling City fell and Prince Yan successfully ascended to the throne

The place where Zhu Bin was located had clearly experienced a great battle. At first, Zhu Bin thought he had arrived at the time when the King of Yan breached Jinling. Could it be that his time adjustment device had failed to function? ... However, as he cleared his confused mind, he discovered among the corpses, some were wearing Ming military uniforms, and there were others, and others...