Chapter 469 The mastermind behind the scenes emerges, the ambitions of the Jiangnan Xu family
Huzhou Prefecture, Changxing County, Xu family ancestral land, Dongshan secret realm.
Hundreds of terrified teenagers were dragged to a black and red altar by a team of ferocious Xu family warriors. Their heads were then chopped off, and the gushing blood was absorbed by this strange altar.
"Buzz..."
At this time, a nine-colored pagoda suspended above the altar, which was about nine feet in size, suddenly shook and roared violently. Then a thick dragon-shaped black and red smoke emerged from the pagoda and disappeared without a trace!
"Hahaha……"
Xu Bengao, the contemporary head of the Jiangnan Xu family, saw this scene and couldn't help laughing excitedly, his face flushed, "Okay, okay..."
"This is really great!"
"Our Xu family seized the Haotian Tower, an innate artifact of the highest quality hidden by the Yu family. After several generations of trying every possible means to gather descendants of the Ming royal family for blood sacrifice, we finally erased the bloodline inheritance mark left by the Zhu family's great ancestor, making it an ownerless artifact!"
"Yu Qian, you probably never dreamed that the Haotian Tower, the Ming Dynasty's national artifact that you lured Shi Heng to plot and steal, would eventually become a wedding dress for our Xu family, right?"
In order to truly obtain this artifact of destiny, the Haotian Tower, their Xu family has made efforts for a thousand years. They tried every means to obtain the blood inheritance mark left by the Zhu family's ancestor contained in it, and continued to secretly gather tens of thousands of the impoverished descendants of the Zhu family's side branches, using them for blood sacrifices and curses. Finally, their wish came true today!
The Xu family is not an ordinary aristocratic family.
Starting from the Jiajing period, during the reign of Prime Minister Xu Jie, the family became the richest family in the Ming Dynasty.
With Changxing, the ancestral home of the Xu family, as the core, nearly half of the land in Huzhou, Zhejiang, belongs to the Xu family.
Among all the great families in Jiangnan today, the Xu family and the Xie family are known as the only two super families in Jiangnan.
During the reign of Emperor Zhu Qizhen, the civil servant representative Yu Qian used special formation methods to successfully steal the Ming Dynasty's national treasure, the Haotian Pagoda, which led to the rapid decline of imperial power.
The civil service group headed by him was able to turn the tables and seize power after killing millions of elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty at Tumu Fortress, restoring the grand situation of the Song Dynasty when the royal family and the aristocratic families shared the world.
However, there is always a loophole in a perfect plan. During the Jiajing period, the biggest secret of the Yu family was discovered by the Prime Minister Xu Jie. With his various means, this innate and top-grade artifact naturally fell into his hands.
After various experiments, they finally found a way to erase the imprint of the Zhu family's ancestor's soul and bloodline in the Haotian Tower. The blood sacrifice plan lasting more than a thousand years was then launched, and it was finally achieved today.
Although the Zhu family of the Ming Dynasty enjoyed all the splendor and wealth, this only referred to the direct descendants of the Zhu family at the prince level. Although the collateral descendants were also of the Taizu's bloodline, quite a number of them lived a very miserable life.
Even if dozens or hundreds of Zhu family descendants disappear every year, it will not attract attention.
This allowed the Xu family's blood sacrifice curse to be carried out smoothly from generation to generation.
"Duh!"
A moment later, the Haotian Tower, the Ming Dynasty's national artifact that was cursed by the blood sacrifice, had its last trace of blood mark wiped out by the Zhu family's blood curse. Then Xu Bengao, the current head of the Xu family, strode forward, forced out a drop of his own blood, wrapped it with his divine consciousness, and began to operate the recognition of the master on this innate and top-grade artifact.
Without any surprise, about a quarter of an hour later, this special artifact of luck turned into a stream of light and sank into Xu Bengao's sea of consciousness, becoming his natal artifact and the Xu family's clan artifact.
"Congratulations dad!"
Xu Nianzu, the eldest son of the Xu family, stepped forward in ecstasy and congratulated respectfully, "Now that this innate divine weapon has been acquired by our Xu family, our heritage and family fortune will surely increase dramatically. In the future, our Xu family will grow rapidly and prosper!"
Perhaps it was the blessing of the Xu family's great fortune that both the father and son were geniuses.
Especially the current head of the family, Xu Bengao, who, more than ten years ago, with the help of the Xu family's massive top-level cultivation resources, had broken through to the peak level of level five cultivation.
"Ha ha……"
Xu Bengao, whose long-cherished wish of a thousand years had come true and who had successfully refined the Haotian Pagoda, could not help but laugh again and said, "Zu'er, my natal divine weapon has now entered my body, and the feedback from this divine weapon has begun. The energy for a breakthrough is surging, and I need to retreat immediately to break through to the sixth level."
"During my retreat, the Xu family's affairs will be handled by the elders with your assistance."
"We can now officially select members from within the family to form the Xu family's Flying Eagle Guard."
"The beast control techniques that our family has taken from the Yu family can also be passed on to the selected Flying Eagle Guards. We will train this army of dark guards, which will surely become our Xu family's trump card, as soon as possible!"
His face was solemn, and he continued, "I have obtained accurate information. Xie Youming, the eldest son of the Jiangnan Xie family, had quietly broken through to the initial stage of level six three months ago!"
"Hum..."
He sneered, "So what if the Xie family's luck explodes? Our Xu family won't fall behind!"
"Now that we have the Haotian Tower, the divine artifact of destiny, what can the Xie family use to compare with our Xu family in the future?"
This is not Xu Bengao bragging, but he is telling the truth.
Just after he refined his natal artifact, the Haotian Tower, he immediately received information from this artifact of luck.
This innate magical artifact had actually long ago been freed of all eight seals by Zhu's great ancestor. Not only did it have an extremely strong attack power that could be used to suppress luck, but it could also seize luck by killing enemies!
“No wonder the Ming Taizu was able to rise smoothly all the way, counterattack as a cowherd, and finally seize the nine provinces of China and reach the top in one fell swoop!”
"With this divine artifact, the Haotian Tower, in hand, our Xu family may be able to replicate the success of Taizu of the Ming Dynasty!"
What's more, with the Xu family's massive human and material resources accumulated over thousands of years as a backing, it is very normal for him to think so, and he is not being presumptuous.
The Flying Eagle Guard is a special super-army force that the Xu family is planning to build.
Hundreds of years ago, our ancestor Xu Jie cooperated extensively with the Tatar tribe, and the other side sent two pairs of golden eagle chicks to show their sincerity in order to obtain material trade assistance from the Ming Dynasty.
Xu Jie attached great importance to these golden eagle chicks. He immediately sent them to the secret land of Changxing ancestral land and spent a lot of manpower and resources to breed them.
With the Xu family's massive supply of resources, they have now multiplied and formed a group of top-level spiritual birds, the golden eagles, with a number of more than 300.
Among them, there are sixty-six golden eagles in the Qi Refining Realm, and the rest are third-level spiritual birds.
These golden eagles have been tamed, laying a solid foundation for the Xu family to build the Ming Dynasty's first elite air force.
The Golden Eagle Guard planned by the Xu family is composed of one hundred core clan masters in the Qi Refining Realm and more than two hundred talented family-born children.
Once the army is officially formed, it will be one of the Xu family's strongest trump cards.
The two leading golden eagle leaders had successfully broken through to the early stage of level six a year ago and became the strength of the Xu family.
I guess even Li Dingguo couldn't have imagined that the Xu family would have an air force that was about to take shape!
It has to be said that the Xu family, which has become one of the two super families in the current Southern Ming Dynasty, has an unfathomable background that far exceeds the Ming Dynasty royal family.
"Zul, wait a moment."
Seeing that his eldest son Xu Nianzu was about to leave, Xu Bengao stopped him and warned him, "I have obtained accurate information about the family's secret guards. The Xie family entrenched in Kuaiji and Jiujiang has a hidden tiger guard cavalry, which also has more than 300 people.
"This Xie family tiger guard was established much longer than our Xu family's flying eagle guard, and its combat effectiveness is extremely terrifying." "If it is not absolutely necessary, Zu'er, you must handle the cooperative relationship with the Xie family well and try not to offend this ally."
As a member of one of the top families in Jiangnan, Xu Bengao was naturally aware of the terrifying power of the Xie family, the world's number one family that had existed for ten thousand years.
The Xie Family Tiger Guards are an elite force that rides on South China Black Wind Tigers.
That group of Black Wind Tigers was composed entirely of tigers at the Qi Refining Realm. If it weren't for the air superiority of their own Golden Eagle, the Golden Eagle Guards would be no match for the enemy.
Before he successfully refined his own divine weapon, the Haotian Tower, the Xu family was much inferior to the Xie family in every aspect.
Of course, now that they have the Haotian Tower in their hands, the Xu family is no longer afraid of the other party.
However, the cooperation between the two sides is greater than the competition, and their mutual interests are deeply intertwined. It is better to continue to maintain this deep-rooted tacit understanding.
"Yes, father!"
Xu Nianzu bowed and accepted the order, then left excitedly.
His ancestor's thousand-year plan has now come true. He is so happy now.
When the family's Golden Eagle Guard is officially formed, haha, then the Xie family will be sensible.
If you dare to confront the Xu family, you will be courting your own destruction!
……
In the newly renovated study of the Qianqing Palace in the imperial city of Nanjing, Emperor Chongzhen had just finished reviewing memorials when he suddenly felt a pain in his heart. After a surge of energy and blood in his body, he suddenly felt extremely weak and exhausted.
Since the passing of Emperor Yongle, the qualifications of his descendants have been declining with each generation.
Especially the brothers Zhu Youxiao and Zhu Youjian, whose cultivation was stuck at the peak of level three and could not make any further progress.
Just now he clearly felt that the golden dragon of national destiny, which had moved south to Nanjing with the imperial court, had suddenly weakened by more than 30%!
What Emperor Chongzhen didn't know was that this was due to the fact that Xu Bengao, the patriarch of the Xu family, had just successfully sacrificed the Ming Dynasty's national treasure, the Haotian Tower, with blood, and refined it into his own national treasure, thus taking away a considerable part of the Ming Dynasty's national destiny.
As one thing grew stronger while the other weakened, the Ming Dynasty's national fortune, which had already been weakening day by day, was on the verge of death, and Emperor Chongzhen could not avoid the backlash of his luck.
"His Majesty!"
The newly appointed eunuch Wang Chengen's face changed drastically when he saw this. He quickly flew forward and supported the shaky Emperor Chongzhen, "You have been busy with state affairs during this period. You must take care of your health!"
Looking at the gray-haired Emperor Chongzhen, Wang Chengen felt heartbroken.
In terms of diligence alone, Emperor Chongzhen can definitely be ranked among the top three emperors in the history of the Ming Dynasty.
But he was born at the wrong time. No matter how hard Emperor Chongzhen tried, he could only watch the Ming Dynasty decline, with his heart willing but unable to do anything about it.
"Hey!"
"National affairs are so difficult, how dare I slack off?"
Emperor Chongzhen drank a cup of thousand-year-old ginseng tea and finally regained some of his composure. Thinking of the threat from the Fuxing Army and the growing chaos in the court, he couldn't help but sigh deeply.
He just felt as if something extremely important had been lost, and he couldn't help but worry, "Otomo, the Ming Dynasty is now in decline, and the civil and military officials in the court are disunited. What's going on?"
"I feel ashamed of my ancestors and the people of the world!"
He really couldn't understand. He had worked so hard, but the situation in the Ming Dynasty was getting worse and worse, with no sign of improvement.
"If this continues, when will I be able to return to the northern capital to comfort our ancestors?"
He sat on the dragon chair, thinking over and over again, but he felt a splitting headache and had no idea what to do.
In the memorial just reviewed, there was news that the Fuxing Army had recovered Liaodong, expelled the remnants of Huang Taiji's Later Jin Tartar troops, and retreated to the territory of the Goguryeo Dynasty.
This made Emperor Chongzhen shocked and even more confused.
What merits and abilities did Li Dingguo have that allowed him to capture the vast territory north of the Yellow River and then easily recapture Liaodong!
The Later Jin clan, who were feared like a tiger by the entire Ming Dynasty, were not even as good as a sick cat in front of Li Dingguo!
According to rumors, Li Dingguo is only seventeen years old this year.
An orphan who was born a beggar, his actions in the past six or seven years were far beyond the reach of the self-important Emperor Chongzhen!
Whenever Emperor Chongzhen thought of this, he felt suffocated and wanted to vomit blood.
Fortunately, those noble families, officials and gentry who had been pretending to obey the court but secretly disobeyed it were forced to hand over large amounts of money and materials under the pressure of the catastrophic disaster brought by the Restoration Army, and only then were they able to barely support the Ming Dynasty until now.
Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty court, which could not even pay the military salaries, would have probably been destroyed by Li Dingguo and would not have survived the current situation of confrontation between the North and the South.
"Your Majesty, it is impossible for Li Dingguo to be so lucky all the time and have everything go smoothly for him."
Wang Chengen comforted Emperor Chongzhen and said, "It has only been six or seven years since he started to form the Fuxing Army. Even if he is very talented, he can't achieve success overnight. His lack of foundation is a major flaw."
"Now, the noble families and officials of the imperial court do not want to see their families destroyed, so they generously raised huge amounts of money and materials to build the army of the four towns in the south of the Yangtze River."
"If we calculate that each town has million soldiers, that would be an army of 6 million."
"Combining the original millions of officers and soldiers, it is not an exaggeration to call it an army of tens of millions."
"This is enough to stop the future Restoration Army from moving south."
In order to comfort Emperor Chongzhen, Wang Chengen said something nice, "When Li Dingguo's rising momentum stagnates, our Ming Dynasty may be able to recover the northern land and re-enter the capital."
Like Emperor Chongzhen, Wang Chengen had lived in the deep palace for a long time and had no idea of the miserable situation of the people in the Ming Dynasty, so he was very confident.
What he and His Majesty can see and hear now is just the constant nonsense of the civil and military officials in the court.
On the surface, it seemed that the Southern Ming Dynasty had put all its efforts into building an army of tens of millions, but the number of truly elite troops among them was pitifully small, estimated to be less than one million.
Even among these one million elite troops, most of them were servants and guards of officials and gentry.
The serious situation facing the Southern Ming Dynasty now far exceeded their imagination.
(End of this chapter)
