Troubled Beyond Measure

Troubled Beyond Measure

"Mm, not bad."

"Go to the logistics chief later and collect five hundred taels of silver as your reward."

There was a trace of satisfaction in Zhang Xianzhong's gaze as he looked at Ma Yuanli. Then he swept his eyes over those before him and shouted sternly, "Where there are rewards, there are punishments. I, Zhang Xianzhong, keep my word!"

"You lot, seeing as this is your first offense, I'll put it on record for now!"

"If you disobey military orders again and act recklessly on your own, don't blame me for forgetting our old ties!"

The fact that he still had more than a dozen trusted subordinates who were utterly loyal to him and obeyed his every command eased his fury somewhat.

Unfortunately, these dozen-odd confidants had neither studied nor understood military and political administration, much less possessed the ability to command troops independently. All they had was blood and courage.

Given their backgrounds, there was nothing inherently wrong with that, but Zhang Xianzhong was desperately short of talent now!

He lacked talent in every field.

Zhang Xianzhong was educated and had once been an officer. In the past, because he had no patron, his superiors repeatedly swallowed up his merits. In the end, he was even framed and stripped of his military post.

Later, filled with bitter unwillingness, he returned to his hometown, slept on brushwood and tasted gall, and made friends with heroes from all walks of life. Only recently had he finally resolved to raise troops and launch an uprising.

Therefore, Zhang Xianzhong knew full well what the court had become—beyond saving.

He possessed not only ambition, but also real ability. Compared with the leaders of the other rebel armies, Zhang Xianzhong was unquestionably among the very best.

Fortunately, after capturing a county town this time, he had coerced and tempted more than a dozen schoolteachers into serving him. Only then had he barely managed to keep the rebel army's daily affairs running.

He gestured for Ma Yuanli to withdraw, narrowed his eyes, and tossed the seal in his right hand up and down. His gaze was icy as he looked over the rebel leaders of every rank, who stood before him trembling like cicadas in winter.

The seal in his hand was none other than the official token of the county magistrate of this county town.

Not only did this seal represent the county magistrate's identity, it was also a special magical artifact used to control the City Protection Array.

Within it lay a wisp of the Great Ming Dynasty's national fortune.

The Imperial Dynasty's Fortune was mysterious and unfathomable. Without an imperial edict of appointment from the court, ordinary people could not control such special seal artifacts.

In this world, there were Fated Individuals more extraordinary than ordinary martial artists, people born with Star Destiny upon them.

Such people were exceedingly rare, and they often emerged only when chaos engulfed the land.

After successfully awakening their Star Destiny, not only would their cultivation and breakthroughs become vastly faster and more efficient, they would even gain some inconceivable abilities.

For example, after awakening his own Star Destiny, Zhang Xianzhong could forcibly refine the official seal in his hand, which represented the fortune of an entire city, and use it to control the City Protection Array against foreign enemies.

This was something most rebel leaders could not accomplish.

One had to possess a Star Destiny and successfully awaken it first.

A special rebel leader like Zhang Xianzhong could even, when abandoning a city and fleeing, forcibly refine and absorb the wisp of Imperial Dynasty's Fortune contained within the seal, strengthening his own foundation.

Star Destinies varied in strength, and the gap between them was enormous.

The Fate Zhang Xianzhong possessed was far from ordinary. It was absolutely one of the highest-grade Star Destinies.

Seven Killings was Zhang Xianzhong's own Star Destiny.

Seven Killings, Army Breaker, and Greedy Wolf—these three supreme Fates would appear only when the realm was in great turmoil and dynasties changed.

The ranks of these three Fates were extremely high, surpassed only by Purple Star Fate and Latent Dragon Fate.

In this wondrous world, if those who possessed Seven Killings, Army Breaker, or Greedy Wolf Fate could kill a royal prince and seize, refine, and absorb the wisp of Dragon Fortune naturally carried by that prince, their Fate would advance into Latent Dragon Fate, granting them the qualification to establish a dynasty of their own.

Only dynasties or imperial dynasties founded by those with Latent Dragon Fate or Purple Star Fate could receive the True Dragon Fortune of heaven and earth, gain the ability to use Imperial Dynasty's Fortune to suppress the realm, and wield City Protection Arrays whose core formation energy came from Imperial Dynasty's Fortune to protect their own forces.

Such secrets could only be known by the person who had awakened their Star Destiny. Others would never understand the mysteries within.

Nor could those who possessed such Fates possibly reveal their secrets to outsiders, lest they draw the court's relentless pursuit unto death.

Zhang Xianzhong had only learned of this hidden secret of heaven and earth after successfully awakening his Seven Killings Star Destiny.

This was also one of the chief reasons why the shrewd and calculating Zhang Xianzhong had decided to raise troops in rebellion.

Yet only now did he realize that it was truly far too difficult for a rebel army to achieve anything!

There would be far too many hardships to face in the future.

Those officials and gentry, aristocratic clans, and powerful families were themselves the vested beneficiaries of the current court. They controlled every aspect of the court from top to bottom and were natural enemies of rebel armies like theirs, unable to live beneath the same sky.

And nearly all educated people came from these great and lesser powers. They would never join rebels and serve them.

Only a very small number of destitute children from ruined poor families, bitter and resentful toward the world, might possibly come to join the rebel army.

But nine out of ten such poor scholars were timid and weak. Unless they had truly reached the end of the road, there was no chance of making them join the rebel army.

At the very least, not a single educated person had come to seek refuge under Zhang Xianzhong so far.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xianzhong hardened his heart. If no educated people will join me, then can't I cultivate them myself?

Once some talents worth cultivating are selected from those orphan beggars I just ordered gathered, they must advance in learning and martial arts side by side, studying both together.

Once they grow up, I'll have capable aides at my side and no longer need to worry over these infuriating matters.

For the early stage, those dozen-odd schoolteachers brought in through coercion and temptation will be enough to teach them reading and writing.

But in the end, if I want to accomplish anything in the future, I'll still have to rely on powerful military strength!

He had good reason for thinking so.

Those Tartars beyond the passes were nothing more than barely civilized Barbarians, yet had they not relied on their formidable military strength to force the court into concession after concession?

The court's armies repeatedly lost cities and territory, suffered casualties, and lost generals whenever they faced those Barbarians. That was the best proof.

Among the current rebel leaders, Zhang Xianzhong surpassed them by more than a single level in terms of foresight and insight alone.

Those little beggars who had been alone and helpless since childhood, struggling merely to survive, could easily become trusted and capable subordinates through vigorous cultivation so long as someone truly treated them well—and they would be loyal beyond compare.

The founding emperor of the current dynasty had done exactly this.

During the early days of his uprising, through a series of measures such as taking a wife, swearing brotherhood with others, and adopting righteous sons, he gained complete control over the rebel army under his command and ultimately seized the realm.

With a successful example before him, Zhang Xianzhong only needed to copy it in a similar fashion.

Of course, that was easy to say. The premise was that he first had to survive the court's repeated encirclement and suppression, while developing and strengthening the rebel army under his command. That was the urgent task at hand.

If he was miserably wiped out by the court's armies and died with his Dao extinguished, what future would there be?

Zhang Xianzhong understood very clearly that if he wanted to accomplish anything in the future, he first had to deal with the court armies that would come in an unending stream.

Only by surviving first would he have the right to speak of anything else.