Chapter 2 Ambushed

  Everyone in the group was resting at the inn, but Gu Zhenhua couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried. Through conversation, he finally figured out what was going on.

  He Zhonghou was the accountant of Cheng Guogong Zhu Chunshen, and he was originally going to Shanxi to settle accounts. As a result, at this time Li Zicheng had already proclaimed himself emperor in Xi'an, and the Dashun Army swept towards Shanxi, so they hurried back to Beijing, but ended up encountering themselves halfway.

  Moreover, Gu Zhenhua also learned from Lu Yong that He Zhonghou originally had a son named He Fang, who was a guard of the Imperial Guard Mansion. In the ninth year of Chongzhen, when the Tartars entered the pass and looted, they encountered the Tartars in Tianjin.

  He Fang fought desperately with several guards, while Lu Yong led the old man He Zhonghou and others to escape from the tiger's mouth. When they returned three days later, they only found a few charred corpses.

  Gu Zhenhua's stature and He Fang were very similar, and he was also hit by a meteorite, his whole body was black and dusty, evoking He Zhonghou's memory, so he rescued him without hesitation.

  Having figured out the cause and effect, Gu Zhenhua felt as if he had fallen into an icy pit. He had read historical books and knew that Li Zicheng would enter Beijing in less than a month, and the Manchu army would enter the pass in less than two months.

  With only this much time left, what can I do? Even if it was a year or half a year earlier, there might still be hope. But now that things have come to this point, what can be changed? Is it that heaven has brought me to this era just to witness the tragedy of history?

  Apart from the Jia Shen coup, there were more realistic threats. He Zhonghou and Lu Yong were both people of the Chengguo Gong Mansion. In normal times, this would be a big fat leg to cling to without hesitation. But now it was different. Gu Zhenhua clearly remembered that after Li Zicheng entered Beijing, Zhu Chunchen, as a representative of the meritorious nobles, was directly beheaded.

  It's already a desperate situation, and now I've got another jinxed person on my hands. This is like adding insult to injury, or rather, adding two layers of insurance to a death sentence! It's hard not to die at this rate!

  Gu Zhenhua didn't have the heart to sleep anymore, so he simply sat up and racked his brains thinking of a way out. The Ming dynasty was not an option, Li Zicheng's Dashun would definitely not be smooth sailing either. As for the Qing dynasty, just thinking about the humiliating pigtail made Gu Zhenhua feel nauseous!

  And even if one compromises their conscience to serve the Qing, there is no good outcome. Take Hong Chengchou for example, he was so filial, yet ended up being recorded in the "Biographies of Treacherous Officials" and became a dog for the Qing, only to be spat on by his master.

  After some thought, it seems that there is only one way out, which is to go south to the Ming dynasty! The Manchu Qing dynasty did not immediately occupy all of China after entering the pass. The people in the southeast and southwest were still fighting against the enemy with their lives, and the war continued until the Kangxi period, lasting for decades.

  If I join the Southern Ming, relying on my own abilities, I will lead a team and fight against the Qing dynasty. If we can win, that's best; if not, I'll flee overseas rather than surrender and become a slave.

  When it comes to organizing teams and training troops, Gu Zhenhua still has some confidence. He enlisted in the army at the age of 18 and stayed there for five years. Later, due to conflicts with his superiors, he left the army and established a real estate company through his own efforts. In less than five years, his net worth soared to tens of billions.

  Thinking of his former dominance, Gu Zhenhua also showed a hint of complacency. A wolf travels the world to eat meat, a dog travels the world to eat shit! As a celebrity, there's no reason to struggle, and a group of uncivilized savages dare to challenge him, it's simply delusional.

  Gu Zhenhua kept encouraging himself, the more he thought about it, the more confident he became. However, to achieve these long-term plans, the most important thing was to first keep his head on his shoulders, otherwise, he would only end up dying before achieving anything.

  It's too risky to return to the capital now, Li Zicheng will come and kill us with his butt, the best choice is to head south immediately, the farther away from the place of dispute, the better.

  It would be best to bring He Zhonghou and Lu Yong along, firstly because these people had saved him and he absolutely couldn't let them get into danger, secondly because in unfamiliar territory, if he could pull a few people together to run with him, then he'd have some backing. A plan gradually formed in Gu Zhenhua's mind.

  After a night of wild thoughts, the east just revealed a hint of dawn. Knocking sounds came, Gu Zhenhua hurried to open the door, and at the door was old man He Zhonghou, still holding a set of brown clothes in his hands.

  The old man smiled and said: "It's all because of my carelessness, I also forgot to prepare clothes for you. This is Lu Yong's, if you don't mind, hurry up and change into it."

  Gu Zhenhua only then noticed his clothes, originally a fine handmade suit, had been smoked to a deep black, and it was impossible to discern its original appearance. Some places even exposed flesh. Fortunately, He Zhonghou and the others hadn't noticed his strange attire.

  "Thank you, sir, for your trouble."

  "Goodbye, old master. If you don't mind, you can also call me Sixth Uncle, it sounds pleasant to the ear."

  "Yes, thank you, Uncle Liu."

  Gu Zhenhua took the clothes and hastily returned to his room, tearing off his original tattered clothes. However, just as he was changing, he suddenly felt a sense of strangeness. Although the clothes had been burned, there were no scars on his skin, and his muscles were even more robust and full. His arms were thicker by a large circle, his chest muscles were more pronounced, and his eight-pack abs were comparable to those of a bodybuilding champion. Looking down, he found that it was bigger and longer than before, and Gu Zhenhua's eyes lit up instantly. It seemed that crossing over wasn't all bad after all.

  At least the body is younger and more energetic, and happiness is also more guaranteed. However, to enjoy a good life, we must first get rid of the current danger, if we can't even keep our lives safe, everything else is nonsense!

  Gu Zhenhua hastily changed his clothes, and the original tattered clothes were all bundled together, ready to be thrown away. However, Gu Zhenhua hesitated again, hastily rummaged through the pockets of the clothes, and sure enough, he found a pen, two pieces of antibiotic medicine, several pain-relieving tablets, a compass, and half a pack of cigarettes.

  Gu Zhenhua carefully tucked everything into his bosom. Although these things may seem insignificant in later generations, if placed at the end of the Ming Dynasty, they might be lifesaving items, especially medicines, which are priceless.

  Gu Zhenhua hastily turned it over again, afraid of missing something useful. Sure enough, he found a military dagger in the pant leg, which was an award he received during his time as a soldier. Only three people in the entire regiment had received this award, and it was made of the best alloy steel, extremely sharp. Gu Zhenhua especially liked it.

  "Old buddy, never had the chance to go into battle before, but this time I'm afraid we'll have the opportunity to drink our fill of fresh blood!" Gu Zhenhua tied the dagger to his calf and crouched down to test it, making sure he could draw it out in the shortest amount of time.

  Everything was packed up, and the remaining tattered clothes were worthless, so Gu Zhenhua threw them away without hesitation. When he got outside, Lu Yong and the others had already prepared everything and were about to set off.

  "Zhenhua, can you ride a horse?"

  "I can, but I'm not very proficient."

  Lu Yongman said carelessly: "As long as you can ride, let's hurry up and go."

  As he spoke, Lu Yong pointed to a large green horse beside him: "It's a coincidence that I said it, and I didn't expect to meet a horse trader in this small town. This horse has a bit of wildness, and I don't know if Zhenhua can tame it. If not, you can ride my horse, and this green horse will be given to me."

  "Lu Dage, Lao Ye, can't you just agree?"

  Gu Zhenhua walked a few steps to the side of the horse, taking advantage of the warhorse's inattention, one hand pressing down on the saddle, one foot treading on the stirrup, and swiftly sat stably on the horseback, his movements smooth and uninterrupted, without a hint of hesitation.

  Lu Yong was a seasoned veteran, and he immediately applauded and called out "well done". The others also followed suit, revealing their approval. In fact, Lu Yong had given Gu Zhenhua a new horse with his own intentions, which was to test Gu's abilities. In the midst of war and chaos, when anyone could lose their head at any moment, no one had the mind to save a useless burden. Although Gu Zhenhua looked very similar to He Fang, if he were to drag others down because of him, Lu Yong would have no way to explain himself.

  Now, looking at Gu Zhenhua's riding skills, Lu Yong is very satisfied. He flips over and mounts his horse. At this time, the shopkeeper also rushes out, holding a dozen or so oil-paper packages in his hand, each containing dry rations for everyone. After packing up, they all ride their horses, whipping them to hurry along the main road.

  Gu Zhenhua's whole mind was on this batch of fine horses, in the past riding horses was just for fun, but from now on it might be relying on warhorses to survive.

  Let's go!

  The big green horse spread its legs and ran extremely fast, in less than a minute it had surpassed all the other war horses and taken first place. Moreover, it was not satisfied with that and its speed actually became faster and faster. Gradually, the big green horse seemed to also know that there was a young child on its back, becoming more and more reckless, its hind legs kicked the ground, continuously jumping upwards, wanting to throw off Gu Zhenhua.

  Gu Zhenhua encountered such a fierce horse for the first time, and could only desperately grab the reins, tightly clinging to the horse's back. But this horse was like a playful dragon, several times almost throwing Gu Zhenhua to the ground.

  Just then, the guards behind also saw the problem. Sun Cheng hastily whipped his war horse and chased after him, shouting loudly: "Gu brothers, relax your body a bit, don't use brute force."

  "Don't just hold on to the horse's belly, follow the rhythm of the warhorse and borrow its strength!"

  Through the sound of the wind, Sun Cheng's words finally came over. Gu Zhenhua also sobered up a bit, his legs relaxed, and his body gradually followed the ups and downs of the war horse. The war horse was also flesh and blood, and every time it burst out, it had to accumulate strength first. Gu Zhenhua gradually figured out its rhythm, following the momentum of the war horse, and indeed felt much lighter.

  After running for a while, Gu Zhenhua became more and more comfortable on horseback: "Thanks to Brother Sun's reminder, your method really works!"

  "It turns out that I've also been on horseback for over a decade, my fingernails have grown long hair, I'm an old hand at this!" Sun Cheng laughed and said "Brother Gu, when dealing with beasts, you must be ruthless. Horses have a wild nature, so you must beat them fiercely, scare them into submission, and they'll listen to you!"

  Gu Zhenhua, excitedly nodded on the horseback, waited for an opportunity, swung his big fist and hit the horse's head three times. The horse was also dizzy and cried out in pain, no longer daring to be presumptuous.

  The big green horse finally became obedient and began to follow Gu Zhenhua's orders. Gu Zhenhua also took the opportunity to slow down the warhorse's speed, rushing towards Old Sun with a bow and courtesy.

  "Brother Sun, your riding skills are indeed impressive! I'm completely relying on your guidance!"

  Lao Sun burst out laughing: "Brother Gu, if you want to talk about my riding skills, I honed them on the border. In the Duke's mansion, I'm definitely one of the top two. But it's not like I have any special skill that can teach a few knights with just a few words. At the end of the day, it's still because you're smarter than others and understand things quickly!"

  "Brother Sun, I didn't expect you to be a brave warrior guarding the country's borders. I admire heroes who kill enemies and report to the country. If it weren't for the border army sacrificing their lives, there would be no peace in the world. It's detestable that those scholars use their tongues to defame warriors. They don't think about how they can indulge in poetry and music, relying on the crude and unrefined. Otherwise, the beauties in their hearts would have become playthings for foreigners!"

  "Well said!" Sun Cheng laughed loudly: "Younger brother, your words have reached my heart. If all people in the world could think like you, even if our brothers die on the battlefield, they will smile in their graves!"

  Gu Zhenhua and Sun Cheng became more and more familiar with each other as they talked, Sun Cheng had been in the border army before, and Gu Zhenhua had also served in the army for many years. Although they were from different times and spaces, the blood of a soldier still ran deep in their bones, and the two people became more and more excited as they talked, as if they regretted not meeting sooner.

  Sun Cheng was second only to Lu Yong in the Imperial Guard, Gu Zhenhua got along well with him, and other guards also accepted him, everyone became more familiar.

  After walking for a whole morning, people and horses were exhausted. Everyone dismounted their warhorses and sat by the roadside to eat dry rations. Gu Zhenhua was no exception, sitting with Sun Cheng on a bluestone at the edge of the forest, devouring steamed buns in big mouthfuls.

  After eating three steamed buns, Gu Zhenhua lowered his head to pick up the water bottle, but at this moment, he suddenly found that three black dots shot out from the forest and rushed towards them.

  "Not good!" Gu Zhenhua suddenly felt something was off and hastily shouted: "There's an enemy!"

  As they spoke, he pressed down on Old Sun, and the two of them fell to the ground. An arrow flew over their heads and landed on the bluestone, scraping out a spark.

  Others were not so lucky. One man's throat was shot through, another man's back was hit by an arrow and he fell to the ground with a thud.