Hong Chengchou's fate differed from that of Sun Chengzong in history. Thanks to Tang Tong's assistance, Sun Chengzong avoided defeat at the Battle of Dalinghe and was not imprisoned by Emperor Chongzhen to face death. To this day, he still holds military power at Shanhaiguan. However, Hong Chengchou, recognized for his military talent, was recognized by Sun Chengzong and enlisted in the Guanning Iron Cavalry.
Sun Chengzong's primary purpose in assigning Hong Chengchou to the Guanning Iron Cavalry was to weaken Zu Dashou's influence within the Guanning Iron Cavalry. Zu Dashou was promoted by Yuan Chonghuan, and the Guanning Iron Cavalry developed under Yuan Chonghuan. In a sense, the Guanning Iron Cavalry was Yuan's family army. After Yuan Chonghuan's death, the Guanning Iron Cavalry became Zu Dashou's family army. Under these circumstances, Sun Chengzong had no choice but to find ways to weaken the influence of Zu Dashou's Guanning Iron Cavalry.
Historically, after Wu Sangui, the leader of the Guanning Iron Cavalry, defected to the Qing army, his army grew to tens of thousands. He slaughtered countless Han Chinese with his butcher knife. If Li Dingguo had not annihilated Wu Sangui's army in a single blow during the battle against the Qing invasion, Wu Sangui's power would have likely secured his position as the King of Yunnan, the heir apparent of the Wu family. At the very least, Emperor Kangxi would not have so easily forced Wu Sangui into rebellion.
Now Hong Chengchou had joined the Guanning Iron Cavalry. When the imperial court mobilized a large army to suppress the rebellion, Hong Chengchou and Sun Chengzong seized the opportunity to dispatch 20,000 Guanning Iron Cavalry, led by Hong Chengchou, to participate in the suppression of the rebellion. During the suppression of Gao Yingxiang's rebellion, Hong Chengchou discovered that Zhou Linfeng was a formidable general and sought to recruit him as his own.
After Hong Chengchou and Guan Ningtie reunited with Sun Chuanting, the troops did not immediately launch a counterattack. Both Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou possessed considerable military talent. At this time, the White Lotus was at its peak. If Sun Chuanting and his men had hastily launched a counterattack, they would have had no chance of success. Therefore, Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou simply increased their defensive forces to ensure they would not be repeatedly defeated by the White Lotus.
Xu Hongfei saw his successive victories. Especially after he became king, the White Lotus Cult's victories grew even more pronounced, which in turn fueled his pride and arrogance. He began to act like a prince in his daily life and even selected an auspicious date for his wedding, appointing a queen.
The White Lotus Sect holds the position of Saintess. Second only to the leader, Saintess are chosen from among the younger girls of the sect. When the White Lotus Sect is at its peak, several girls are selected at a time as candidates for the Saintess position. After several years of elimination, the most outstanding candidates remain. The Saintess of the previous generation will select one of them to become the Saintess of the next generation. Most Saintes become wives of the leader upon reaching adulthood. Afterward, the White Lotus Sect will begin a new round of Saintess training.
A small number of White Lotus Saints were appointed by the leader of the sect. Generally, this was because the leader of that generation had no sons, so they had no choice but to appoint their own daughter as Saint. Her husband would then become the next White Lotus leader.
Xu Hongfei was to marry Xu Qinglian, the daughter of the previous leader, Xu Hongru. The White Lotus Sect actually consisted of many factions. Among them, Luojiao was considered the orthodox sect in the late Ming Dynasty. Popularly referred to as the White Sect or Mi Le Buddhism, it was the sect that suffered the most severe repression from the imperial court. Xu Hongfei was actually from another smaller sect. Furthermore, his real name was not [name].
His real name is Wang Yongfu. He is a very scheming person. He was young after Xu Hongru's death and claimed to be a key figure in the White Lotus Sect. He changed his name to Xu Hongfei and claimed to be Xu Hongru's cousin.
After Xu Hongru's uprising failed, the White Lotus Sect (also known as the Luo Sect) suffered a heavy blow. Almost all of its leaders perished, leaving the sect in disarray. Wang Yongfu, who changed his name to Xu Hongfei, seized the opportunity to seize power within the White Lotus. He assumed a role that made him Xu Qinglian's cousin. Xu Qinglian, still young at the time, escaped the chaos, only to fall into Xu Hongfei's hands. Because Xu Hong had no son, Xu Qinglian was automatically enthroned as a saint by the White Lotus sect. With Xu Qinglian's help, Xu Hongfei seized control of the White Lotus.
Ten years passed in a flash. Sixteen-year-old Xu Qinglian had blossomed into a peerless beauty. Xu Hongfei also began to harbor a lingering desire for her. More importantly, Xu Qinglian knew that Xu Hongfei wasn't some cousin of Xu Hongru. This had always been a source of leverage and a threat to Xu Hongfei. Previously, Xu Hongfei hadn't harbored such malicious intentions. But after the White Lotus Rebellion, its rapid growth over the past two years had intensified Xu Hongfei's ambitions and desires.
So, after Xu Hongfei became king, he immediately wanted to bring the beautiful Xu Qinglian into his harem. Firstly, this would solidify his position within the White Lotus Sect. Secondly, he could also embrace this long-coveted beauty.
Xu Qinglian held a high reputation within the White Lotus. However, Xu Hongfei now held almost all power within the White Lotus. No one else could interfere with Xu Hongfei's actions. After selecting an auspicious date, Xu Hongfei arranged a grand ceremony to marry Xu Qinglian, setting the entire Laizhou prefecture ablaze with lights and decorations.
Xu Hongfei's grand wedding was known to everyone who was even slightly informed. After hearing the news, Tang Tongxu said to Dayu'er, Liu Rushi, and Hai Lanzhu, "The White Lotus Sect is finished."
When the women heard Tang Tong say this, some of them were a little upset. Yu'er asked, "Hey, the White Lotus Sect is at its peak right now. How can you say they're finished? Is there something wrong with Xu Hongfei marrying the Saint?"
"Xu Hongfei has been growing increasingly proud and complacent lately. He's truly short-sighted. There's nothing wrong with him marrying this so-called saint. It's a mistake to make such a big fuss. If I were Hong Chengchou, I wouldn't miss this opportunity for a surprise attack. I'd wipe out the White Lotus Sect's lair in one fell swoop, and the White Lotus Sect itself would be finished." Tang Tong smiled faintly. Now that Tang Tong has long held power, he has the aura of a superior. Dayu'er and Hai Lanzhu saw Tang Tong's faint smile, and their hearts couldn't help but skip a beat.
This feeling wasn't the kind of admiration a woman feels for a man. It was the natural obedience Dayu'er and her friends possessed towards the powerful. It made them sense Tang Tong's magnanimity as a superior. After hearing Tang Tong's words, Dayu'er couldn't help but wonder, "Then what should we do? We, Tang Tong, have put so much effort into supporting him. He was there to help the Tang family weaken the imperial court. Now that Xu Hongfei is finished, all our support for him has gone to waste."
Dayu'er unconsciously used the name "our family." This showed that she had already accepted herself as a member of the Tang family. Tang Tong glanced at Dayu'er and thought, "This woman of historical strength of character... Now she's showing some feminine qualities." He reached out and hugged Dayu'er onto his thigh. He smiled and said, "There's nothing to worry about if he's gone. We can just support others. We already have Li Yan, right? At worst, we can recruit a few of our own to join the rebels. They might still be able to use their power, like the White Lotus Sect. I'll help them out."
After a moment's deliberation, Tang Tong ordered Zhang Yiheng to dispatch the Jurchen auxiliary troops, disguised as Jiannu soldiers, to Laizhou, hoping to seize the Saint Xu Qinglian. Tang Tong's desire to capture Xu Qinglian wasn't due to her beauty, but rather to her status as a White Lotus Saint. Furthermore, she was the daughter of Xu Hongru, the previous White Lotus leader. If he could capture her, the future White Lotus would fall into his own hands.
Of course, Tang Tong didn't want such secret cults to exist in this land in the future. He wanted to spread this influence abroad to harm others. Ideological and cultural aggression is far more powerful than weapons. Weapons may not necessarily defeat powerful opponents or races, but ideological and cultural invasion can wipe out a powerful opponent or race.
Tang Tong's greatest desire was to introduce the teachings of Buddhism and Logic to Westerners. Buddhism discouraged progress, while Logic made people rigid and lifeless. In Tang Tong's mind, these were two malignant tumors of thought and culture, best used to harm others. This cultural invasion had begun years earlier, when Tang Tong arrived in Japan.
Of course, there are many merits in Buddhist and Neo-Confucian literature, but when a culture hinders the development of a nation and a country, no matter how many merits it possesses, it is unacceptable. Although Tang Tong's thinking was somewhat radical, the darkness of the late Qing Dynasty left too many regrets for those who came after him.
Putting aside Tang Tong's actions, when Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou learned that Xu Hongfei was planning a grand wedding ceremony, they couldn't help but think their chance had arrived. These two might not possess much in the way of battlefield prowess, but they were definitely full of scheming and intrigue. After learning the news, they met and discussed their plan for a surprise attack. The plan was simple: dispatch the Guanning Iron Cavalry from the sea to Laizhou and launch a surprise attack on the White Lotus Sect's stronghold in Laizhou City.
Although Tang Tong no longer controlled the majority of the Ming navy, other armies still possessed a small number of small vessels capable of coastal navigation. For example, the Ming garrison at Pi Island. When Tang Tong retired as the Dongjiang Commander-in-Chief, he left some small vessels capable of coastal operations to the new commander-in-chief.
Tang Tong had some idea of Sun Chuanting and the others' actions. However, Xu Hongfei was too ambitious and unsuitable to be a puppet. Tang Tong had no need to protect him. He simply wanted to replace him with a puppet who was easier to control. Or perhaps he could simply send his own people to do this kind of thing. Whatever the case, Tang Tong didn't want to be looked down upon.
Zhou Linfeng stood on the deck, his eyes fixed on the sea, where the sky and water merged into one. This was his first time at sea. This day was destined to be one Zhou Linfeng would never forget. That night, Zhou Linfeng met a woman who moved his heart.
999WX.COM,sj.999wx.com,. 999wx.com
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com