[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-the-ming":3,"chapter-overthrowing-the-ming-overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-7":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing the Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289234,4476,"Chapter 7: Border Soldiers","overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-7",7,"\u003Cp>Cao Er did not internally wish for the Longmen Shanzhai to form a joint operation with Guanzi Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was very simple, because his background was with the gentry of Mianxian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A joint operation between the Longmen Shanzhai and Guanzi Mountain involved the fundamental interests of their Mianxian gentry in the Longmen Shanzhai, namely the iron mines and brine wells of Nanshan. What they needed was the military force of the Longmen Shanzhai to guard this business, not some uprising of roving bandits looking to overthrow the Great Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, although he did not trust Li You at first, he did not want to speak out to stop it; after all, what Li You had said earlier aligned with his own interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Li You’s bewitchment at this moment had already exceeded that scope, so he cleared his throat and began to speak...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What Mr. Li said about the 'crime of invading the fief' truly opened Cao’s eyes... In that case, there is no need for a joint operation for now. As for Mr. Li’s side...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Er said this, then looked at Wu Zhuge and said: \"I am too busy over at Nanshan, and the people under my command are all illiterate things. Why not let Mr. Li condescend to go to Nanshan first and help me act as an accountant and clerk!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhuge felt a bit displeased, but the Longmen Shanzhai was a large forest with its own separate factions, and it was not something he could decide alone; furthermore, Cao Er’s status in the Longmen Shanzhai was very special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He calmed down, thinking that Li You’s background had indeed not been checked, and he could not be trusted lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this day and age, although there were scholars who rebelled, such as \"Lamp-Lighter\" Zhao Sheng and \"Heaven-Crashing\" Liu Guoneng, not every scholar was willing to take such risks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, even if Li You wanted to join the group, the mountain gate still had its own rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a recommender, without a weapon as a token of allegiance, wanting to recommend oneself to enter the mountain meant one could at most be a \"cub,\" acting as cannon fodder to charge and kill the enemy. Only after surviving for a year or two could one sit at the table to eat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To leap up and become a master strategist like this would not convince the masses and would break the rules of the trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered for a moment, thinking that his personal guard Sun Juanmao, although from Shuzhoupu, had been a live-in son-in-law in Qingjian County; it would be better to let him probe Li You’s background first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he nodded and said: \"You must take good care of him. Mr. Li is my guest of honor! Don't let him really end up as a cub soldier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You felt a bit annoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His current idea was naturally to survive first, but the initial goal of surviving was to squeeze into the center of power step by step, and then wait for an opportunity to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the world outside was too chaotic, and with winter approaching, the hope of surviving as a refugee was too slim; this place was more practical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the reckless way of hacking two people to death like yesterday, forget it; even if his strength increased, how many could he hack?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this Cao Er actually wanted to take him to some broken Nanshan to be a clerk? And where was that Nanshan? What kind of hellhole was it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Second Master, but I still have a request.\" Li You performed a high-handed salute from the world of wanderers, cupping his fists to his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to Wu Dading, who was lying half-reclined against a stone roller, and said: \"That is my page; he has also followed me through the hardships along the way...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He stays, of course.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhuge waved his hand to interrupt Li You, his gaze now falling once again on the six people locked up with Li You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Li You notice that these six people were wearing worn-out red padded jackets; the originally bright colors had almost faded away, the red military caps on their heads were also tattered, and several toes were exposed from their red cloth shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the standard military uniform of the Great Ming army: the Mandarin Duck Battle Jacket, also called the fat jacket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So these six were border soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kneel!\" The child soldiers wanted to make the six kneel, but the six men’s legs were trembling, yet they supported themselves and refused to kneel; however, they still could not withstand the brutal beating and eventually collapsed onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gray-haired prick, Shorty Wu, winners are kings and losers are bandits. I, Gao Conglong, admit defeat. If you want to kill or slice me, do it quickly; stop disgusting people in front of me.\" The bearded man on the far left roared at the top of his lungs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s right, don't be so damn wishy-washy. Hurry up and take this eight-pound-and-a-half head of your grandfather. If I make a sound, I, Guan Hongxin, am not a man who stands to pee.\" A dark-faced, long-faced man next to Gao Conglong also cursed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, all good men!\" On the platform, Zhang Zhuanggen squinted at the two of them, then sneered at the tall man in the middle and the other man next to him who had been keeping a dark face: \"Mr. Li, Mr. Zhou, I know you have great skills. You have all been on the battlefield, seen big battles, and have skills in your hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last month, when we invited you to join us, you refused, looking down on us mountain bandits... But when we went out for a stroll, you came to ambush my Longmen Shanzhai. Do you really think our Longmen Shanzhai is a bunch of cowards?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tall man called \"Mr. Li,\" whose name was Li Qinxiang, glanced at Zhang Zhuanggen with contempt, but only looked at Wu Zhuge and said: \"We are not the same kind of people at all. Why would we join you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yin, who was on the side, stared at Shi Dayong, who was drinking alone, and suddenly spoke up: \"If General Shi knew that he had produced a mountain bandit and horse thief like you, his spirit in heaven would probably regret not drowning you in a urine bucket back then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sudden dialogue made many people on the drill ground freeze; even Wu Zhuge, with words on the tip of his tongue, swallowed them back and looked at Shi Dayong, who was holding a wine pot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Dayong’s body clearly stiffened. He sat up slightly, and only then did his unfocused gaze lower to look at Zhou Yin, who was speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his eyes wide to look carefully for a moment, then spoke drunkenly again: \"Enough of this nonsense! What shit general, urine general? Such wild talk, or perhaps you have recognized the wrong person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, he continued to drink drunkenly and ignored them further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhuge thought to himself that these six border soldiers were only treated as honored guests by the nearby large and small gangs because they knew how to forge iron, make weapons, and fire guns, and thus they just freeloaded!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With their arrogant and lofty appearance, they were even more annoying to look at. Since they couldn't be used, they should be killed early to avoid being recruited by the Mao'erba or Qigan Mountain shanzhais.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These six soldiers had voluntarily given up their space to him and Wu Dading in the water prison last night, and from the cursing just now,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he had also roughly guessed that these six were unwilling to join the rebellion, and when Wu Zhuge had led everyone out, they had come to launch a sneak attack, which was why they were captured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this kind of courage, they were indeed worthy of being called real men; compared to the current chaotic soldiers, they were infinitely better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Niu Jinku, take a few brothers and dig a pit. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a 'One-Zhang-White' flower-blooming execution. Use these six bastards to crack their skulls and see if Little Si’s skills have regressed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhuge laughed loudly. The man standing like a post on the left side of the platform immediately took the order and called people to dig the pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qinxiang, Zhou Yin, Guan Hongxin, Wang Tingxing, and the others all turned pale upon hearing about the \"One-Zhang-White\" flower-blooming execution. Their heroic spirit from before was gone, but they remained silent, and no one begged for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, my skills are still great. Big Master, you just watch, I guarantee the brains will spray high and straight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man lying under the eaves on the right side suddenly became spirited and laughed loudly at Wu Zhuge on the platform. As he spoke, the tumors on his forehead and face trembled constantly, as if they were about to burst at any moment, which was extremely ghastly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You remembered this person clearly; outside the Lueyang city gate, it was he who first killed an old woman whose stomach was full of firewood and tree bark, as well as a three-year-old child. Moreover, two women died at his hands along the way, one of whom was at most fifteen years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader named Niu Jinku, along with six or seven men, had already started digging the pit in front of the woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many of the mountain bandits who were lying or sitting down became spirited and stood up one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there were still some who remained unmoved; from beginning to end, they had no interest in this torture and humiliation, and even looked somewhat disgusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You, who had retreated to the right side under the platform, withdrew his gaze and let it fall on the six people who were being forced to kneel in front of him, his eyes shifting across their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, his gaze landed on the round-faced man next to Gao Conglong. Rather than a man, he was more of a teenager; his sallow face had only a few wisps of hair, and he looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This person was Gao Conglong’s younger brother, named Gao Conghu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Conghu clearly knew what was coming next; his eyes darted around uneasily, and finally, they met Li You’s, filled with a desperate and urgent desire to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You frowned, his mouth pressed tightly together...\u003C\u002Fp>",1764,"2026-06-20T03:32:06.992Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","6cb64f3da8e99d51cf934778a21fbbea778e56b86911e8d72f74c289fce0bca0","overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-8","overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-6",71,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-the-ming-cover.jpg"]