Quick Transmigration: The Villain Also Wants to Be a Good Person – Chapter 5

Ch 5: Tianbao 4

Leader, we have finally collected all the new grain day and night these past few days. There is so much grain. Now we don’t have to worry about starving to death.

“Have the villagers keep their own rations. Bring the rest to me, and I will store it for you. Otherwise, if the Tartars come, it will all be taken away again. We will distribute the grain equally in the future. Also, the Tartars may launch a major offensive soon, so have your brothers prepare. There will be a great war soon.”

“System, where was that Tartar a few days ago?”

“Ding, Host, that was the Captain from Hulu Island.”

“Then how many people are there on Hulu Island now? What is their military strength?”

“Ding, Host, there is currently one Captain’s Bordered Blue Banner on Hulu Island, with an actual number of two hundred and ninety-one people. There are also two thousand Han Eight Banners soldiers and over four thousand Han slaves. Because you killed their Captain, they are now preparing to take revenge on you.”

“How are their weapons and equipment?”

“They mainly use cold weapons. Garrison units like theirs are second-line troops. They only have two Tiger Crouch Cannons.”

“System, when are they planning their retaliation?”

“They suddenly lost their superior officer; according to military regulations, they will be punished, so it’s difficult for them to report upwards now. They are currently assembling troops and are expected to arrive by noon tomorrow. Moreover, they don’t think there will be any danger, bringing most of their troops with them and only leaving ten Tartars and two hundred Han traitor soldiers to guard the slaves.”

“Excellent, this gives me an idea.”

“Host, what are you planning? Your two hundred and so men face two thousand men on the plain. Even with a generational difference in weaponry, it will be difficult to win, right?”

I don’t plan to fight a decisive battle with them on the plain. I now have complete intelligence on the enemy. They don’t take us seriously at all. Then I’ll strike at the dragon’s heart, a direct home trade.

Here is my plan: I will take all the villagers with me. We’ll bypass the main road and go directly to Hulu Island. Those two hundred or so men they left behind are no match for us. After we quickly occupy Hulu Island, the Tartars’ homes will surely contain a lot of wealth. Then we can buy more weapons. And among the more than four thousand Han slaves, we can surely find some people who will work with us. Defending with firearms will definitely be better than attacking on the plain.

Thinking of this, Tianbao immediately arranged for people to summon the village chiefs of several villages. When he told the village chiefs, everyone understood. The top priority was to escape quickly. Fortunately, preparations had been made in advance, and training had been done in this regard.

Soon, villagers from various villages headed towards Hulu Island via different small roads.

Meanwhile, flags waved on the official road. The first one or two hundred men were imposing and highly disciplined, while the people behind them looked like refugees, in a complete uproar. These were the people from Hulu Island.

Although Tartars often entered the pass to rob, and the Ming soldiers who surrendered to the Tartars lived much better lives than before, it also depends on the time. When they fought, they all grabbed a lot of gold and silver treasures. But this group was a garrison unit, and they didn’t have much grease money. They could only make a little extra during harvest season. However, this time, their Garrison Commander, a Captain, was inexplicably ambushed and killed. Unless they killed all these Han people, they would have to be buried with him. As for the soldiers below, they couldn’t wait to come and rob, so they could get some grease money.

Thus, before the Qing army reached the village, Tianbao had already arrived with his two hundred plus brothers at the edge of Hulu Island.

Now that the entire Liaodong was under Hong Tai Chi’s rule, nobody dared to fight the Qing army. The Ming Dynasty was struggling to survive, Korea and Mongolia had been conquered by the Jurchen. Therefore, even if all the troops left, just ten Tartars and more than two hundred Ming surrendered soldiers could still guard thousands of slaves.

Tianbao went closer and found that they were also harvesting grain, and the island was basically undefended.

In the vast fields, ten Tartars were drinking and gambling noisily in a shed. Around them, two hundred Han Army Banner soldiers, in groups of ten, were scattered in various corners, patrolling listlessly.

On this land, the Han slaves toiled like living dead. They were treated as livestock by the Tartars’ family members and driven mercilessly. These slaves were pale-faced and vacant-eyed, as if they had lost their souls. They mechanically wielded their sickles, harvesting the ripe grain, each movement heavy and powerless.

The sunlight shone on the fields, illuminating a golden expanse, but this beautiful scene could not conceal the sadness in people’s hearts. In this oppressed world, the slaves’ fates were like weeds in the field, liable to be harvested at any time. The ten Tartars and two hundred Han Army Banner soldiers had become the rulers of this land, their presence filling the scene with tension and oppression.

“Order everyone, once the Tartar family members are found, regardless of age, weakness, women, or children, show no mercy. Especially those old guys. Those are veterans from the Nurhaci era. Don’t underestimate them just because some are disabled; you will suffer a great loss if you don’t look carefully.”

“Yes, we understand.”

“According to our usual training, we’ll form groups of ten, then volley fire, don’t get confused, kill the Tartars first.”

Thus, everyone dispersed to find their targets. Tianbao secretly infiltrated the shed of the ten Tartar soldiers.

Suddenly, Tianbao’s eyes narrowed, and he swung his long Dao with a lightning-fast movement. The blade flashed, instantly piercing the neck of a Qing soldier, blood splattering everywhere.

This sudden change stunned the Qing soldiers, as if time froze at that moment. Their eyes widened in astonishment, completely unprepared.

Immediately, Tianbao moved like a ghost among the Qing soldiers. His movements were as fast as the wind, each strike carrying a fierce momentum. Amidst the flashing blades, he struck again, and two more men screamed and fell into pools of blood.

After a moment of panic, the remaining Qing soldiers finally came to their senses, picking up their weapons and attacking Tianbao fiercely. They roared, brandishing their swords and spears, trying to put Tianbao to death.

However, Tianbao’s skill was far beyond that of these ordinary Qing soldiers. He dodged a blow that came at him, and simultaneously kicked the opponent’s abdomen, sending him flying.

Tianbao’s blade technique was like flowing clouds and water; each strike precisely hit the enemy’s vital points. He charged left and right in the crowd, as if in no man’s land. The Qing soldiers’ attacks missed him, and his counterattacks caught them completely off guard.

In a few moves, the Qing soldiers were defeated under Tianbao’s blade, either injured and falling to the ground or killed outright. The scene was bloody and brutal, like a cruel slaughter.

“Bang bang bang.”

Gunfire continued to ring out from a distance. The Qing soldiers’ family members also picked up their weapons, those old men were skilled archers. Soon, several brothers were hit by arrows, but fortunately, they were wearing inner armor, and only suffered non-fatal wounds. With a volley of gunfire, the remaining Qing family members fell.

The battle ended, with more than a dozen Han Army Banner soldiers surrendering. Of the Qing soldiers’ family members, all but the women were killed.

Tianbao summoned all the slaves. There were Han Chinese and Koreans among them. According to their accounts, these Han Army Banner soldiers had often abused their power and persecuted them, while the women, although they had been captured, except for a few who had been captured last year, most of the others had come to consider themselves mistresses over time, and had also committed many misdeeds.

As such, after a public trial, those who should be executed were executed, and those who should be released were released. Thus, Hulu Island was easily taken, while the Qing soldiers in the village went away empty-handed, unaware that their homes had been robbed.

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