Chapter 812: Heaven's Will Is Hard to Resist
The seventh year of Chongzhen.
The massive rebel army marched through Runing Prefecture...
Zuo Liangyu, tasked with garrisoning Runing Prefecture, had promised to intercept the rebel forces, but in reality, he avoided battle and bypassed the main rebel contingent.
Zuo Liangyu only engaged a few scattered rebel detachments, wiping them out, and presented their heads as proof of merit, to show he was diligently suppressing bandits and not slacking off.
However, the majority of the rebel army was allowed to pass, with Zuo Liangyu claiming he "couldn't stop them all."
The rebel forces continued west, ravaging Henan.
The Governor of Henan, Fan Shangzheng, was at his wit's end, utterly helpless. Although Bai Yuan was assisting him, Bai Yuan's troops were few in number, and the Gao Family Village arquebusiers required Gao Family Village's own logistical support to operate. The Ming army's supply system simply couldn't sustain the ammunition consumption of the Gao Family Village arquebusiers.
Therefore, Bai Yuan's forces could not stray too far from the Yellow River.
At this point, Bai Yuan had already withdrawn his troops to garrison Luoyang.
The golden-thread avatar of the Heavenly Lord on his chest was currently active, speaking: "Indeed, Bai Yuan, your request is reasonable."
Bai Yuan was overjoyed. "The Heavenly Lord has agreed? That's wonderful! I hope that Gao Family Village's strongest units—He Jiu's team, Lao Nanfeng's team, Bai Mao's team, and Xing Honglang's team—can all come to Henan to fight together. Just like last time against Zijing Liang, advancing on multiple fronts... to encircle the main rebel forces."
The golden-thread Heavenly Lord sighed. "While your request is reasonable, I cannot deploy them at this moment."
Bai Yuan exclaimed, "Ah? Why not?"
The golden-thread Heavenly Lord replied, "Because something far more crucial requires their immediate deployment."
Bai Yuan was greatly surprised.
The golden-thread Heavenly Lord explained, "I have already sent Tie Niaofei to investigate. We will have results soon. If Tie Niaofei's findings are favorable, I will send troops to assist you. But if the situation Tie Niaofei discovers is dire... then we will have to temporarily set aside the matter of the rebels."
Bai Yuan gasped, "Ah? Tie Niaofei? Could it be... a border crisis?"
The golden-thread Heavenly Lord confirmed, "Yes, a border crisis. Tie Niaofei should have arrived by now. I will go and observe the situation myself."
With that said, his consciousness swiftly shifted, to Tie Niaofei's location...—
Tie Niaofei's caravan had just delivered a large consignment of grain and weapons to Zhang Zongheng, the Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da Command. He immediately noticed a heavy, oppressive atmosphere hanging over the entire frontier.
Tie Niaofei asked curiously, "Supreme Commander Zhang, what has happened here? Why does everyone look so troubled?"
Zhang Zongheng replied gravely, "In recent years, the Later Jin forces have been repeatedly dispatching troops to attack the Chahar Mongols. Just a few days ago, Borjigin Ligdan Khan, the Great Khan of the Chahar Mongols, died of illness. The Later Jin forces then withdrew their troops and, passing through the northern steppes, turned their attention to us... Just now, Huang Taiji sent an envoy who spoke with audacious arrogance, claiming that our Great Ming army has disturbed their borders, killed their people, and harbored their fugitives. He demanded that we immediately hand over these fugitives, or they would lead their armies to attack us."
"What?" Tie Niaofei was utterly bewildered. "What fugitives? Why would we harbor them?"
Zhang Zongheng slowly shook his head. "There's no such thing. The Later Jin forces are merely looking for a pretext to launch an invasion."
Tie Niaofei grunted in dismay.
Zhang Zongheng continued, "The Later Jin forces are about to attack. I have already sent an urgent dispatch, traveling eight hundred li a day, to the capital to report the situation. We'll see what the court decides."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a messenger ran in from outside, gasping for breath, and announced loudly, "Report! An Imperial Edict has arrived!"
Zhang Zongheng immediately straightened his attire and posture to receive the edict.
Tie Niaofei also feigned reverence and received the edict.
The messenger rattled off the decree, its essence simple: Each official was to defend their city well; if any city fell, its defending official would be executed.
Zhang Zongheng was desperate. "Is that all the Emperor said? What about reinforcements? What about supplies?"
The messenger slowly shook his head. "None!
"
Zhang Zongheng hissed, drawing a sharp, cold breath.
Tie Niaofei couldn't help but feel bewildered as well. "What good is a decree like that? What's the damn point? I can at least send some supplies to the border army. How is the Emperor less useful than me?"
Zhang Zongheng turned, glaring at him with a warning in his eyes, a clear reminder: "Even if what you say is true, you can't speak so carelessly. You'll only invite trouble. Our Emperor may not be great at governing, but he's first-rate at silencing dissent."
Tie Niaofei quickly shut his mouth.
Zhang Zongheng turned back to the messenger and sighed, "Your humble servant obeys the imperial decree."
The messenger departed...
But the entire camp remained eerily silent.
After a long while, Zhang Zongheng finally waved his hand. "Send a few men to notify all the local officials in Xuanfu and Datong prefectures, across all their counties and cities. Tell them, the Emperor has commanded: 'Defend your cities well. Anyone whose city is breached will be executed.'"
A subordinate stepped forward and whispered, "Once this order spreads, I fear what the local officials will think..."
Zhang Zongheng retorted, "So what? Are we supposed to suppress this order and not deliver it?"
The subordinate mumbled, "Er..."
Zhang Zongheng concluded, "At this point, we can only surrender to fate."
He turned to Tie Niaofei. "Master Tie, don't come back these next few months. If your caravan were intercepted by the Later Jin forces on the road, it would be tantamount to aiding the enemy."
Tie Niaofei nodded with a solemn expression, cupped his fists in a salute, and without further words, quickly departed.
The caravan began its journey south...
Tie Niaofei's expression was grim. He walked a considerable distance until no Ming soldiers were in sight, before Tie Niaofei finally pulled back the tarpaulin covering a large cart in his caravan.
The cart contained no grain or other goods, but rather a two-meter-diameter, button-shaped... miniature camera.
The camera was still on, continuously recording.
Tie Niaofei pressed firmly on this massive miniature camera, and only then did its indicator light turn off.
He bowed his head and spoke to the golden-thread Heavenly Lord on his chest, "Heavenly Lord, I have completed the task you entrusted to your humble servant. The scene just now should have been fully recorded."
"Good!" The golden-thread Heavenly Lord instantly came to life. "What was bound to happen has finally arrived. Although we created various butterfly effects, the strength of a butterfly's wings is still too weak to resist the corrective force of history. This, I suppose, is what they call Heaven's Will is Hard to Resist."
Of all those words, Tie Niaofei understood only a few, grasping only the phrase 'Heaven's Will is Hard to Resist'.
Tie Niaofei asked, "Heavenly Lord, what should we do now?"
The golden-thread Heavenly Lord instructed, "Transport this camera back with the utmost speed. Alas, Bai Yuan's request for reinforcements will have to be temporarily put aside."
End of chapter.
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