Chapter 253: The Enemies Drawn by the Wealth of the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants
While the Demon Sect was in high spirits,
Several figures were flying towards the Demon Sect like arrows.
Some flew fast,
Some flew slow,
Some set off early,
Some set off late.
These people were all heading for the wealth of the Eight Great Han Traitor Families.
And among them, the earliest to set off and the fastest to arrive were two people.
One of them was the Minister of War, Zhang Jinyan.
Zhang Jinyan, styled Lian Yuan, also known as Tan Gong, Wai Fangzi, and Da Yin, was from Xinxiang, Henan. He was a minister in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, and the Minister of War of the Ming Dynasty.
That’s right, when the Ming Dynasty fell, the Ming Dynasty’s Minister of War, Zhang Jinyan, opened the Zhengyang Gate of the capital, welcoming Li Zicheng into the city. Zhang Jinyan and Grand Secretary Wei Zaode led the officials in congratulating and welcoming him, while the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Wang Dehua, angrily denounced him for betraying the country.
In April, the Manchu Qing entered the pass, and Commander Huang Ding, under Hong Chengchou’s orders, went into the mountains to persuade Zhang Jinyan to surrender. Zhang Jinyan surrendered to the Qing and successively served as the Right Administration Commissioner of Shandong and the Left Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang.
This one can also be considered a traitor of three dynasties, surrendering to whoever came, truly a case of “whoever gives milk is my father.”
The other person was the Duke of Cheng, Zhu Chunchen.
Zhu Chunchen was a nobleman of the late Ming Dynasty and the hereditary Duke of Cheng. His ancestor was Zhu Neng, a famous general of the Jingnan campaign, who made countless contributions in the south and north, was enfeoffed as the Duke of Cheng, and posthumously honored as the Prince of Dongping.
When Li Zicheng attacked Beijing, Emperor Chongzhen wrote an edict, ordering Consort Zhu Chunchen to command the armies and assist Crown Prince Zhu Cilang. Zhu Chunchen offered the Qihua Gate （ （i.e., Chaoyang Gate ））.
Unfortunately, Li Zicheng did not accept that and directly executed Zhu Chunchen.
That’s right, when Li Zicheng attacked Beijing, Minister of War Zhang Jinyan opened the Zhengyang Gate, Duke of Cheng Zhu Chunchen opened the Chaoyang Gate, and “treacherous people” opened the Desheng Gate, happily welcoming Li Zicheng into the capital.
Of course, Zhang Jinyan was a scholar, so he naturally couldn’t bear the reputation of surrendering to the enemy and opening the capital gates.
Therefore, the scholars of the Ming Dynasty at the time pinned the infamy of opening the city gates to welcome the rebel king Li Zicheng on the eunuch Cao Huachun.
However, although Cao Huachun was a eunuch, a profession that later generations considered the worst and most shameful, it was truly unjust to pin the blame of opening the city gates to surrender on him.
In the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, Cao Huachun had already retired and returned to his hometown seven years prior. He was not in the capital at all. If he wasn’t in the capital, how could he have opened the gates for Li Zicheng?
It can only be said that some Confucian scholars are truly too shameless.
Of course, let’s get back to the main topic.
Both Duke of Cheng Zhu Chunchen and Minister of War Zhang Jinyan were among the most powerful people in the Ming Dynasty now.
Of course, they were also some of the biggest parasites of the Ming Dynasty, plundering, oppressing, and exploiting the people, making themselves fat and rich.
As soon as Duke of Cheng Zhu Chunchen saw Minister of War Zhang Jinyan, he knew things were not good: “You’re also here for the wealth of the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants?”
Minister of War Zhang Jinyan smiled noncommittally: “Yes. Could it be that you’re not?”
Zhu Chunchen was stunned. He was a descendant of Zhu Neng, with a good bloodline passed down from his ancestors. In addition to the countless properties inherited from his ancestors, he was now also at the eighth level of the Earth Immortal Realm, with formidable strength.
In the Ming Dynasty, apart from those in the Heavenly Immortal Realm, he was definitely among the top tier.
However, his opponent Zhang Jinyan, although not as well-born as him, was not someone to be trifled with to have climbed to such a high position. His strength was not below his.
With Zhang Jinyan present, he alone could not swallow the wealth of the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants.
Zhang Jinyan said, “Now, we are the two fastest to arrive. No one is faster than us. But the wealth of the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants is indeed too tempting. I estimate that others will arrive soon. Therefore, we cannot waste time.”
“Let’s join forces. When the time comes, we’ll split the wealth of the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants. Each of us will take the property of four families. I think we can make a huge profit.”
Join forces?
Zhu Chunchen thought about it. For now, this was the only way. Even so, he could still make a huge profit: “Alright, then let’s join forces and deal with Peng Feng together, and get our hands on this shocking wealth.”
“Good.”
Zhu Chunchen and Zhang Jinyan bumped fists and laughed heartily.
◈◈◈
Demon Sect.
Peng Feng was cultivating.
He had too much to cultivate now.
He needed to cultivate the Lightning Fury to increase his speed, the Samadhi Divine Fire, and the Ten Thousand Years Mystic Ice Skill to quickly subdue enemies.
He really didn’t have a moment to spare.
◈◈◈
Moreover, if nothing unexpected happened.
In twenty years, it would be the time when the Ming Dynasty would be destroyed.
He had to frantically increase his strength before the great ship of the Ming Dynasty sank.
He absolutely couldn’t delay.
Just then, Bai Wan’er suddenly ran in: “Sect Leader, Sect Leader, Minister of War Zhang Jinyan and Duke of Cheng Zhu Chunchen have come to our door.”
Peng Feng couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Minister of War Zhang Jinyan and Duke of Cheng Zhu Chunchen.
These two had come to his door?
Why?
He didn’t know these two people.
Could it be, were they going to start the wedding?
He was only engaged to Princess Kunxing, Zhu Weichuo, and they had not yet married.
So, were they coming on the orders of Emperor Chongzhen to arrange the wedding?
No,
If it were for the wedding, it should be the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites who came.
It was impossible for the Minister of the Ministry of War to come.
This was not their responsibility.
So, why were these two here?
Well, no matter why they were here.
Whatever their tricks, he would just deal with them.
This was the confidence of a Heavenly Immortal Realm expert.
I am a Heavenly Immortal Realm expert, no matter how much you stir things up, what can you do?
Peng Feng tidied his clothes slightly, then, shaking his fan, walked towards the Demon Sect’s special reception hall.
In the reception hall, two people were sitting.
One was dressed as a middle-aged scholar, with a belly full of poetry and scholarly aura, a refined and handsome man. This person should be Minister of War Zhang Jinyan.
The other was about ten meters tall, looking extremely powerful, with muscles all over his body, very hairy, and eyes like copper bells, looking extremely ferocious. This person should be Duke of Cheng Zhu Chunchen.
Zhu Neng, Zhu Di’s capable subordinate in the past, had the bloodline of the Black Bear Monster from the ancient mythological era.
And Zhu Chunchen, as a descendant of Zhu Neng, having the Black Bear Monster bloodline was not surprising. It was also because of this bloodline that he could grow to such a size.
Beside Zhu Chunchen, Zhang Jinyan looked simply “tiny,” only reaching Zhu Chunchen’s knees.
Peng Feng cupped his hands: “I presume the two of you are Minister of War Zhang Jinyan, and Duke of Cheng Zhu, right? I wonder, what brings the two of you to my Demon Sect?”
Minister of War Zhang Jinyan said, “I heard that Sect Leader Peng recently rushed to Pingyao Ancient City and killed all the families of the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants, Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, Wang Dayu, Liang Jiabin, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang, and Huang Yunfa. There were as many as several thousand people.”
“These eight people, and the families they belonged to, were also citizens of my Ming Dynasty.”
“You are not an official, not an Imperial Bodyguard, not from the Eastern Depot. Where did you get the authority to kill the citizens of my Ming Dynasty, as many as several thousand?”
“Where do you place the laws of my Ming Dynasty?”
Minister of War Zhang Jinyan said angrily.
Duke of Cheng Zhu Chunchen also chimed in from the side: “That’s right, if everyone acts recklessly, today you kill me, tomorrow I kill you. Wouldn’t my Ming Dynasty be in chaos? It’s outrageous.”
