(Adapted from historical events)
This is a poignant tale of Shi Kefa, a national hero from the late Ming Dynasty. He bravely fought against the Qing invaders and the corrupt faction led by Ruan Dacheng, who advocated surrender. Due to the emperor's foolishness and his trust in treacherous officials, vital reinforcements and supplies were cut off. Isolated and without support, Shi Kefa made a valiant last stand in Yangzhou. When the city eventually fell, he chose to sacrifice himself, demonstrating unwavering loyalty to his country.
- In the twilight years of the Ming Dynasty, the Qing army invaded and captured Beijing. In Nanjing, the remaining Ming officials, upon hearing that Emperor Chongzhen had hanged himself on Coal Mountain and that the Qing forces were advancing south, decided to enthrone a new emperor from the imperial family. Ultimately, the treacherous official Ma Shiying and his allies supported Prince Fu, Zhu Yousong, who then established a new government.
2. After Prince Fu ascended the throne, national traitors like Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng began to dominate the imperial court. They first targeted Shi Kefa, who staunchly advocated resistance against the Qing. Under the pretense of promoting him to supervise military affairs in Yangzhou, they effectively exiled him from Nanjing.
3. News of Shi Kefa's forced departure from the court sparked outrage among officials and common people who supported the resistance. Hundreds of imperial academy students in Nanjing jointly petitioned Prince Fu to rescind his order, but the Prince, swayed by Ma Shiying's words, ignored their pleas.
4. Before his departure, Shi Kefa convened a meeting with patriotic figures like Gao Hongtu, Minister of Revenue, and Jiang Riguang, Grand Secretary, to discuss national affairs. He urged everyone to unite and resist the Qing. Gao Hongtu sighed, "Ma Shiying sees us as thorns in his side; I fear we will not get along!"
5. Shi Kefa declared sternly, "With a great enemy at our gates, unity is paramount. For the sake of the nation, we must fight to the death. But never should we turn on each other, allowing the enemy to reap the benefits of our internal strife."
6. At this very moment, Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng were secretly plotting to persecute the patriotic officials in court. Ma Shiying gleefully asked, "My dear brother Ruan, do you find the position of Vice Minister of War too small?" Ruan Dacheng quickly replied, "It's all thanks to your promotion, my mentor! Shi Kefa constantly opposes us; we must be extra careful in the future."
7. Ruan Dacheng then ingratiatingly added, "Except for Gao Jie, the four garrisons north of the Yangtze are all your confidants, my mentor. Why not do this and that, and catch him off guard?" Ma Shiying nodded repeatedly, saying, "Excellent, excellent, I'll entrust this to you."
8. On the day of Shi Kefa's departure, Ma Shiying also came to the riverbank to bid him farewell. Ma Shiying spoke in officialese, but Shi Kefa earnestly replied, "If I succeed in this mission and recapture Yanjing (Beijing), the credit will go to Your Excellency. I will then 'resign my official post and return home' as a commoner. I hope Your Excellency will put aside personal grievances for the sake of national crisis!"
...
To read more and for more comic books, visit https://payhip.com/KeleComic