Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 341 Oath
In Guangzhou, although Zhu Lang succeeded in persuading Qu Shisi, he was far from being able to overwhelm the court.

The most resolute opponents of the seven-pile grain system in the imperial court were the local officials of Guangdong Province represented by He Wuzuo. After the seven-pile grain system was implemented, the first to suffer were the Guangdong gentry.
As for other court officials, Lu Daqi and others, either because they did not want to lose the right of preferential exemption or because they thought that this matter would make the court lose the support of the people, also stood together with the Guangdong local faction such as He Wuzuo to resist the new system introduced by Zhu Lang.
The two sides in Guangzhou were deadlocked, but as the court meeting ended, the news from the court quickly spread throughout Guangdong Province.

Guangzhou and Huizhou are adjacent to each other. Yesterday, Wu Zhigao and other talents were dismissed. On the next morning, various news from the court had been transmitted to Huizhou Haifeng City.
In the back hall of Yao's mansion in Haifeng City, Yao Jing, Su Zhao, Lu Yuchen and five or six other Huizhou gentry were sitting in the room. The atmosphere was dull.

Su Zhao put down the letter in his hand, his face was full of anger, and he couldn't help but speak

"The Qing army arrived suddenly that day, and the city was in chaos. The only soldiers available in the city were dozens of clerks and servants in the county government. What else could we do if we didn't surrender?"

"We pretended to surrender to the enemy that day in order to keep ourselves useful for the successors. When the imperial army counterattacked Huizhou that day, we, the gentry in the city, also rose up in rebellion and opened the city gates to welcome the royal army into the city. Doesn't this count as a merit?"

"Brother Wu and others gave sincere advice, but the Regent Gui was so cruel and violent that he dismissed wise officials. How unfair!"

Su Zhao looked at the solemn faces of the people in the room and spoke again

"We should immediately contact the gentry and common people of all counties, quickly prepare the blood letter of the people and escort it to the capital, so that the court will know the sentiments and opinions of the people in our two prefectures. We must not let such evil policies bring disaster to the countryside."

Yao Jing, who had been silent on the left, spoke in a cold voice

"It's useless. This matter has nothing to do with fairness or injustice."

"The court had previously promised to distribute land to the army, but now there is no land, so they just found an excuse to punish us, the gentry of the two prefectures."

"The court is after all eyeing the land of our two mansions and wants to divide our ancestral property among the soldiers in the court."

"The two prefectures of Chaozhou and Huizhou have provided land, and the rest of the prefectures in Guangdong Province do not need to provide any more."

"He Wuzuo and the other old villains saw through this matter clearly, so they gave up our two governments and turned to oppose the seven-bull grain system."

"We can no longer count on those people in the court. If we want to protect our family business, we must save ourselves now."

Yao Jing's face darkened and he spoke in a cold voice

"The blood letter is of no use. Only by seeing blood can the court know that Huizhou is not a place that can be disposed of at will."

Su Zhao didn't look surprised when he heard what Yao Jing said. They had discussed this many times before, and they had also discussed the plan of inciting the villagers to riot.
Yao Jing, Su Zhao and others were all well-known figures in their respective counties. They owned thousands of acres of fertile land and hundreds of tenants.
They could easily mobilize the villagers by telling them that the court was going to seize their land and distribute it to the soldiers in the court, but this plan was eventually abandoned by everyone.
Su Zhao said in a deep voice
"There are imperial troops in Guangzhou, and there are also imperial troops in Pingyuan City on the Chaozhou-Huizhou border."

"Even if we incite the people to cause trouble, I'm afraid the imperial army will arrive before we can even make a fuss. By then, we might be caught by the imperial court."

Upon hearing this, Yao Jing's face flashed with a hint of sternness, and he said

"Why do we need to incite the villagers? The imperial army is powerful, but we can't deal with it. There are people who can deal with them!"

"I have a foolproof plan here, it depends on whether you dare to carry it out."

After Yao Jing finished speaking, he whispered to the people in the room. After Su Zhao and the others heard it, their expressions suddenly changed.

Su Zhao and the others had uncertain expressions on their faces and remained silent for a long time. Seeing that everyone had been silent for a long time, Yao Jing spoke again.

"The court has already raised the butcher knife to Huizhou. If I don't take action now, I will just sit there and wait for death."

"This is the safest method now. Guangzhou is adjacent to Huizhou. As long as the Qing invaders enter Huizhou, there will be chaos in the court. At that time, no one will dare to mention the confiscation of land."

Su Zhao was silent for a moment, then spoke again

"Although this strategy is good, it requires the cooperation of the Qing army. How can we make the Qing army cooperate with us?"

Yao Jing looked at the people who were watching him, and knew that some of them might have made a choice in their hearts, so he said softly:

"Don't worry about this. You may not know that Governor Zhang of the Qing Dynasty's Gan Province has long been interested in Guangdong Province, but he just can't find a suitable opportunity."

"I do have some connections there. As long as you agree, I can do this."

Lu Yuchen and other Huizhou gentry looked at Yao Jing, who looked calm, and looked at each other, but at this time everyone tacitly did not ask

Everyone has their own way. The most important thing now is how to stop the court from taking away their land.

There was a moment of silence, but Su Zhao's eyes flashed with determination, and he said

"The property of our clan was left by our ancestors. The imperial court is now trying to take away our ancestral property without any reason. Since the imperial court is so cruel, don't blame us for saving ourselves. I think Brother Yao's plan is feasible."

After hearing this, several Huizhou gentry at the side finally made a decision and spoke up in agreement.

Everyone looked up at Yao Jing, but Yao Jing looked unmoved when he saw the Huizhou gentry speaking. He said

"It is great that you are willing to help the village, but we are still under the rule of the court. We need to rely on the help of the Qing army, so we must be careful."

"If you are willing to carry out this plan, please swear an oath in blood so that we can advance and retreat together."

Several Huizhou gentry also changed their expressions when they heard this, but it was no longer their choice.
The conversation has already been made, and they have agreed to use this strategy. If they are not willing to swear an oath at this time, the others in the field will probably kill them immediately to silence them.

Yao Jing asked someone to bring pen and ink, and quickly wrote the oath. Then the gentry in the field came forward one after another to sign with their seals, and the oath was soon covered with blood-red fingerprints.

Yao Jing collected everyone's oaths, a look of satisfaction flashed across his face, and then he began to talk about the inside story. After Su Zhao and others heard it, a look of sudden realization also flashed across their faces.

Yao Jing finished planning this operation and said in a deep voice:
"I will contact Ganzhou, and Brother Su and Brother Lu will be in charge of Dingnan City. As long as the Qing army enters Huizhou, our plan will be successful."

"That tyrant relied on his soldiers and was bent on violence, totally disregarding the lives of the gentry of Huizhou like us."

"If that's the case, then we will let this tyrant know that we, the people of Huizhou, are not worthy of being humiliated by this tyrant who came to power illegitimately."

Su Zhao and the others heard this, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in their eyes. Didn't the tyrant rely on his martial arts? Then they might as well turn Huizhou upside down and wait for the Qing army to invade Huizhou to see how he would end it.
The people in the hall discussed the details of the action and then left.

From the beginning to the end, no one in the field cared about what would happen to the people of Huizhou after the Qing troops arrived.
The Huizhou gentry swore an oath of blood, and the Chaozhou gentry also did not sit idly by.

Lintian Village in Jieyang, the old village of the Chaozhou bandit Jiujun
At the end of Chongzhen, the land annexation in Fujian and Guangdong was serious, and the people's livelihood was getting harder and harder. As a result, bandits emerged in various parts of the two provinces.

In Guangdong Province, slaves from various places gathered together to attack and kill their masters, seize their property, occupy their land, take their wives, and turn slaves into masters. The common people, unable to endure the exploitation of the gentry, also went into the mountains and seas to become bandits and plunder the area.

The Huashan bandits, the White Flag bandits, the Shunde bandits, the Red Head Army, the bandits in the mountains and seas of Guangdong Province are everywhere, and there are bandits everywhere in every prefecture, with dozens or even hundreds of gangs.

Among the nearly 100 bandits in Guangdong Province, the most powerful one was the Nine Armies of Chaozhou and Jieyang.

In the first year of Hongguang, Liu Gongxian summoned nine bandits including Ma Lin and Fu Da to establish nine armies, each of which was given the title of general. At that time, the news of Emperor Chongzhen's death had just reached Guangdong Province, and the people in Guangdong Province were in turmoil. Officials in various government offices in Guangdong Province were at a loss. Except for collecting taxes as usual, other tax collection in the county government offices was almost stopped.
Liu Gongxian and his men seized the opportunity and quickly expanded their army to tens of thousands, becoming a well-known bandit in Fujian and Guangdong.
Although there were many bandits in Guangdong Province, they only looted towns and villages outside the city at most. However, the Ninth Army directly attacked the county town.
The year before last, when Zhu Lang succeeded to the position of regent, Liu Gongxian led nine armies to attack Jieyang, killing all the officials in the city, beheading dozens of candidates, and killing and looting all the wealthy families in the city. The number of casualties among the people inside and outside Jieyang was no less than 10,000.

After the Ninth Army captured Jieyang, it occupied it, and no one in Chaozhou Prefecture dared to come and encircle and suppress it.
The Ninth Army occupied Jieyang City for more than half a year until Tong Yangjia and other Qing troops entered Guangdong, and Liu Gongxian and others abandoned the city.
In the hall, Liu Gongxian was sitting at the top in a brocade robe. On the left below were Ma Lin, Fu Da and other generals of the Nine Armies. On the right sat a middle-aged man in a long gown.

Liu Gongxian looked at Chen Yanyu below and said

"You mean, you want me to send troops to attack Jieyang?"

Chen Yanyu nodded and said

"Yes, as long as General Liu leads his troops to Jieyang, someone in the city will seize the gate and help the general enter the city."

Liu Gongxian leaned back in his chair, but remained unmoved, with a casual look on his face.
"Two years ago, I attacked Jieyang and killed you, the corrupt officials and gentry. At that time, you were still looking for money everywhere, wanting to go to Fujian Province to ask the government troops to kill me."

"At this moment, you, a scholar, actually came to ask me to send troops into the city to kill them. Interesting, really interesting."

Liu Gongxian chuckled a few times, but he didn't care about Chen Yanyu who looked unhappy below, and said

"Tell me, why did you, a scholar, come to ask me to attack the city?"

Chen Yanyu looked at Liu Gongxian, who had a rough face, and a trace of shame and anger flashed across his face. After Liu Gongxian invaded Jieyang two years ago, many of Chen Yanyu's classmates and old friends were also killed by this evil thief. If it were possible, Chen Yanyu would like to kill this thief with his own hands.
However, Chen Yanyu's face soon calmed down. Although there were many bandits in Chaozhou, only a few of them had the strength and courage to attack the county town.

The important thing is to not act on impulse at this time

Chen Yanyu took a deep breath, thought about it, and said

"Jieyang County Magistrate Huang Linyou has a grudge against me. He has relied on his position as a county magistrate to bully the gentry of Jieyang and other places, and wants to seize the land of our clan. Therefore, we would like to ask the general to take action to deal with him."

"Ever since Huang Linyou took over as county magistrate, he has repeatedly recruited soldiers to make things difficult for the general. As long as he is killed, no one will dare to challenge the general's authority in the future. The general can also get rid of this major worry. Isn't it the best of both worlds?"

After Chen Yanyu finished speaking, he stared at Liu Gongxian, but Liu Gongxian looked playful at this time and said

"You scholars are really vicious. For your own personal revenge, you have ignored the people of the city and asked me to kill them. You are really cruel."

"But seeing you scholars fighting each other like this, I am very happy in my heart."

Chen Yanyu's face also darkened, but before he could speak, Liu Gongxian spoke again.

"What are you going to offer me to help you?"

"General Liu leads his troops to the city, and someone in the city will rush to meet them. After entering the city, all the property in the city will be for the general to take."

Liu Gongxian heard this and shook his head.

"If we really attack the city, all the wealth in the city will belong to my army. What does it have to do with you?"

"If you want my army to go out, you need to prepare a reward. If you want my army to kill people for you without any reason, there is no such thing in this world."

Chen Yanyu heard this, his face was gloomy, but he was relieved in his heart. He was not afraid of the Ninth Army making conditions, but he was afraid that the Ninth Army would not dare to attack the city.
Chen Yanyu was silent, as if hesitating for a long time, and then he spoke

"As long as the general is willing to help, regardless of success or failure, we are willing to give the general three thousand taels of silver as a reward."

"Five thousand taels"

Liu Gongxian spoke directly, but Chen Yanyu looked shocked and angry and said directly

"Absolutely impossible. How can a county magistrate be worth five thousand taels? This is a win-win situation for both sides. If the Ninth Army is unwilling to do it, then we will go find the Jieshi Red Army."

Liu Gongxian looked at Chen Yanyu, who had a determined expression, and carefully examined him for a moment before speaking.

"First send 1,000 taels and 1,000 shi of grain. Once you see the things, I will send troops to kill the Jieyang County Magistrate for you."

Chen Yanyu pretended to hesitate for a moment, and then he agreed. The two decided on a place to deliver the rice, and then Chen Yanyu was sent out of the mountain.
In the hall, Chen Yan was sent out of the mountain stronghold, and only Liu Gongxian and other nine army members were left in the hall. Ma Lin looked at Liu Gongxian above and said in a deep voice:

"Brother, we have conquered Jieyang, and the local gentry hate us to the core. But now Chen Yanyu suddenly came to our door. Is there something fishy going on?"

Liu Gongxian heard this, but he looked casual and said

"No matter if it's a fraud or not, there's no reason not to accept the money that's delivered to our door. We have the final say on when to send troops."

"We will only take a small number of elite soldiers with us, and everyone will ride horses. If there is a trick, we will leave immediately. If the city gates are really open, we will kill everyone in the city, except Huang Linyou, and then clean up Jieyang City again."

When Liu Gongxian said this, a trace of murderous intent flashed in his eyes. Chen Yanyu was actually right. Jiujun and Huang Linyou also had a grudge. Since Huang Linyou became the magistrate of Jieyang County, he began to recruit local soldiers and repeatedly opposed them.

The Nine Armies were not afraid of revenge from the Ming court. When Liu Gongxian and his men captured Jieyang, they killed all the officials in the city. In the eyes of the Ming court, they were already traitors.

Besides, even if the Ming court came to retaliate, what would happen? They had been besieged by the Ming army before, and now they were just living happily in the mountains.
If they can capture Jieyang again this time, it will let the Ming court know that their Ninth Army is not easy to mess with.

Outside Lintian Village, several bandits took off the black cloth on Chen Yanyu's head and then left.
At the foot of the mountain, Weng Rulin was waiting under a tree with several strong servants. When Weng Rulin saw Chen Yanyu, he immediately came forward.
Weng Rulin looked at Chen Yanyu, who looked a little pale, and said

"Brother Chen, are you okay?"

"It's okay. I was blindfolded when I was going down the mountain, and it was a bit bumpy."

Chen Yanyu waved his hand and then asked

"How are the preparations going in the mansion? Has the news spread?"

"I have sent people to spread the news. Now the people in all counties know that the imperial court wants to seize the land of the people of Chaozhou."

Weng Rulin said this and then asked

"Has Liu Thief agreed to send troops?"

Chen Yanyu turned around and took a look at the village vaguely visible on the top of the hill, and sneered.

"I have already agreed. After all, they are just a group of bandits. They are short-sighted. The day when Liu the bandit sends out his troops will be the day when this person dies. Let these people die in the front this time."

Chen Yanyu and Weng Rulin mounted their horses, and then, escorted by several servants, they galloped out of the mountain.
(End of this chapter)