Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 393 Righteous Teacher
Siming Mountain, Zhejiang Province
The Siming Mountain area is located in the central part of Zhejiang Province, stretching from Ningbo in the west to Zhuji in Shaoxing in the east. The entire mountain area spans 200 to 300 miles from east to west, and its circumference is more than 800 miles.
After the Qing army invaded Zhejiang Province several years ago, although Lu Jianguo fled to the sea, the gentry and common people in Zhejiang Province rose up one after another to resist the Qing invaders.

Although there were many rebel armies in Zhejiang Province, they were only formed by the people and were soon suppressed by the Qing army.

Under the encirclement and suppression of the Qing government, a large number of rebels fled to the Siming Mountain area and built a stronghold in the mountains to protect themselves.
After Zhejiang Province became the front line of the confrontation between the Ming and Qing armies, the Qing government increased its exploitation of the people of Zhejiang Province in order to raise military supplies.
Now, there are more than a hundred rebel strongholds in the Siming Mountain area. The people in Zhejiang Province who cannot bear the oppression of the Qing army and the gentry who do not want to shave their heads have fled to the mountains.

Over the years, more than 100,000 people have fled to the Siming Mountain area.

Many people fled to the mountainous area, which certainly made Siming Mountain more famous, but also made the mountain area more mixed.

The number of soldiers in the various rebel armies in Siming Mountain varied. The largest ones, such as the Dalanshan rebel army founded by Wang Yi, the head of the Military Affairs Department, had nearly 10,000 soldiers under their command. The smaller ones often only occupied a small hilltop with only a few hundred people in the camp, forming their own camp.

The various rebel armies in Siming Mountain not only vary in strength, but also have complicated origins. There are former Ming officials and gentry like Wang Yi, local tyrants from various counties, and even many mountain bandits who took advantage of the situation to gather in one place.
Although these people all claimed to be the pro-Ming army, in fact, they were just recruiting refugees under the guise of the Ming court and claiming to be the king in the mountains.

Taiping Village, Siming Mountain, in the lobby, Shi Zhongfang, Wang Yongsheng, Lei Hubiao and others are sitting in the room
Shi Zhongfang and his companions were all the leaders of a mountain stronghold in the Siming Mountain area. The three of them were gathered together because of an imperial decree they had received not long ago.

A few days ago, Wang Yi, the leader of Dalan Mountain Village, sent messengers to inform the various mountain villages in Siming Mountain Area that Lu Jianguo had issued an imperial decree, ordering the leaders of the various rebel armies in the mountains to come to the alliance to listen to the decree.
Dalan Mountain Stronghold is the largest rebel army among the four mountainous areas, with a force of 10,000 soldiers.
As far as Shi Zhongfang and others know, the announcement of the alliance meeting in Dalan Mountain has spread to almost all the strongholds in the mountain. It is obvious that Lu Jianguo or Dalan Stronghold will make a big move.

In the lobby, Shi Zhongfang sat at the top, with Wang Yongsheng and Lei Hubiao on his left and right.

Taiping Village controlled by Shi Zhongfang is said to have 3,000 soldiers and is also a very powerful village in Siming Mountain.

Lei Hubiao took out a letter from his arms and slapped it on the table, then spoke first.

"This letter is full of nonsense. Even the accountant in my village could hardly understand it. What does this Wang mean by suddenly asking us to go to Dalan Mountain for a meeting?"

Wang Yongsheng, who was standing by, also took out an envelope from his sleeve and threw it on the table. He sneered and said:

"What kind of alliance? I think this alliance is fake, but the real intention is to become the leader."

Lei Hubiao was also dissatisfied when he heard this, and said,

"They all risked their lives for the court, so why is he the leader? What does it matter if Wang has more soldiers? The last time the Tartars entered the mountains to clear out the enemy, he didn't lead any men to rescue them."

"If it weren't for the mutual assistance among the Taipingshan villages, we would have been killed by those Tartars by now."

"Wang Yi has occupied the Dalan Mountain, a good place, and raised so many soldiers, but he has not come to help us. He wants to be the leader of the alliance, but I also want to be the leader of the alliance!"

All the strongholds in Siming Mountain claim to be the imperial righteous army, but in fact, each stronghold basically operates independently.

As long as the so-called rebels occupied a mountain stronghold, those who could read would call themselves governors, governors-general, and censors, while those who could not read would call themselves governors, generals, and lieutenants.
Now, among the four mountains, there are no less than a dozen governors and governors-general, and as for generals, there are countless. Since everyone is a governor-general, governor-general, and general, why should I listen to your orders?

In the past two years, the Qing court had dispatched a large number of soldiers to confront the Ming court in Guangdong Province. Since then, the various rebel armies have been even more afraid to go out of the mountains, and they just keep guarding their own strongholds and become mountain kings.
Shi Zhongfang, who was standing above, heard what Lei Hubiao said and spoke slowly.

"Master Wang is the head of the Ministry of War and a civil official in the court. Aren't the people the court trusts the most these scholars? We peasants are not worthy of the attention of Regent Lu."

Lei Hubiao became more and more dissatisfied when he heard this, and waved his hand and said

"What's the point? Just let Wang have fun on his own."

The various mountain strongholds in the Siming Mountain area are scattered. In fact, someone has long proposed to call a meeting of all the strongholds to unify their forces.
However, there was endless debate in the mountains about who would be the leader of the rebel army, and no conclusion had been reached.

This time, Dalan Village suddenly called all parties together, and even under the banner of Lu Jianguo, it is obvious that Dalan Village has gained the trust of Lu Jianguo.

People from small villages like Lei Hubiao have no chance of competing for the position of the leader of Siming Mountain. If that's the case, what's the point of going to the alliance? Who would want to have another manager come out for no reason?

Shi Zhongfang sat on a large mahogany chair, thinking for a while, then he said

“You still have to go.”

All the rebel armies in the mountains now obey the banner of Lu Jianguo. Wang Yi is calling them in the name of Lu Jianguo. If they don't go, it would be a moral failure.
Moreover, there was indeed a need for an alliance at this time. In recent years, the Qing army's energy was mainly focused on the front lines such as Tiantai to confront the Ming army.

As long as the people in the Siming Mountain area did not go out to rob the county town, the Qing army would basically ignore these so-called righteous armies in the mountains.
But in recent months, for some unknown reason, the Qing government has suddenly stepped up its efforts to suppress the rebels in the Siming Mountain area.
Taiping Mountain is adjacent to Shangyu and Yuyao counties. In recent days, Shi Zhongfang has begun to feel some pressure.

If this meeting can really connect all parties in the mountains and establish basic connections between the mountains and villages, it will also be beneficial to Shi Zhongfang and others.

Although the four mountainous guerrillas all called themselves generals, in fact, only a few guerrillas such as Wang Yi were truly recognized by the court and granted official titles.
Since Wang Yi wanted to use the power of Lu Jianguo to become the leader of the rebel army, they also took this opportunity to formally obtain the official position from the court.
Not only the official position, they can also take this opportunity to ask for another batch of money and grain from Dalan Village.

Since Wang Yi wants to be the leader of the rebel army, he should give them benefits. If they have no official position and no food, why should they recognize Wang Yi as the leader?

Lei Hubiao below heard this and his face flashed with excitement. He said

"Brother Shi is right. We need money and food, and we also need this official title. We brothers are rebelling for the Zhu family at the risk of our lives. This time, we must let the Regent Lu confer the title of Marquis on us brothers."

Shi Zhongfang stroked his short beard, thought for a moment, and then spoke again.

"There are more than one family waiting to be appointed as an official. It would be a bit too weak for us to just rely on a few villages."

"We will each contact the masters of the mountain strongholds we are familiar with. It is better to share happiness with others than to enjoy it alone. Taking advantage of this opportunity, we can all become marquises together."

Because these people have no legitimate identity, even if they surrender to the Qing Dynasty, the Tartar court will not look down on them.
If they can get the official certificate from the court this time, they can sell themselves for a good price even if they are in trouble in the future. Lei Hubiao and his companions left and quickly contacted the masters of the mountain strongholds they were familiar with. After the masters gathered in Taiping Stronghold, they all headed towards Dalan Mountain.
Not only Taiping Village, but also all the well-known rebel leaders in Siming Mountain area were heading towards Dalan Mountain.

Dalan Mountain, in the backyard of the mountain stronghold, Wang Yi stood in front of the mirror, and a servant was helping Wang Yi put on his official robes

There was a sound of footsteps at the door, and soon two figures walked into the room.
The two people who walked into the room at this time were both wearing official uniforms. The one wearing the Xiezhi official robe was named Li Changxiang, and the other one wearing the green Heron official robe was named Huang Zongxi. These two people were also the leaders of a righteous army in Siming Mountain.

When Wang Yi saw the two men coming in, he dismissed his servants. Li Changxiang also spoke directly.

"Brother Wanxun, the leaders of the thirty-two villages in Siming Mountain have all arrived."

"Thank you, Brother Yanzhai and Brother Taichong."

Wang Yi nodded to the two people at the door. Li Changxiang took the name Yanzhai, while Huang Zongxi took the name Taichong.
Wang Yi glanced outside the door and saw that no one else came in. He frowned and said

"Where is General Shi now?"

Li Changxiang and Huang Zongxi looked at each other, both of them froze. Huang Zongxi hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"General Shi said that since the Shanzhai is a persistence, then we should do as Brother Wanxun said. But if Brother Wanxun's method doesn't work, General Shi will do it his own way."

Wang Yi frowned upon hearing this. After a moment of silence, he said

"Brother Taihe, have you confirmed the identity of this General Shi?"

"It has been confirmed that the letter he carried was indeed written by Brother An Gong, and the official seals he carried were also in compliance with court regulations. General Shi's identity should be confirmed."

Huang Zongxi was born in Fushe Society and traveled to Nanzhili in those days. Naturally, he also knew Xu Fuyuan.
Although Wang Yi already knew Shi Lang's identity and it was basically impossible for him to fake it, he still couldn't help but say
"General Shi is a general of the imperial court of Guangdong Province, so why is he here to escort the order of the Lu Regent? What is the relationship between the imperial court and the Lu Regent now?"

Huang Zongxi and the other man looked puzzled when they heard this, but after a moment, Huang Zongxi spoke again.

"Brother Wanxun, the relationship between the emperor and Lu Jianguo is ultimately a private matter of the emperor, and it is not for us, the ministers, to speculate."

"Since the imperial court and Lu Jianguo have issued orders at the same time, we can only obey the orders. We should not ask about other matters."

Wang Yi fell silent upon hearing this. At this time, the servants outside the door came to report that the leaders of the various militias had entered the hall and sat down. Wang Yi and the other two did not say anything more and walked directly to the front yard.
In the lobby of Dalan Village, Shi Zhongfang sat on the right, and the leaders of the villages were scattered in the hall according to their closeness, strength and weakness.
Huang Zongxi and the other two walked into the hall, and everyone's eyes immediately fell on Wang Yi, who was wearing a bright red peacock official robe.

Sitting on the right seat, Shi Zhongfang looked at Wang Yi's scarlet official robe, his eyes thoughtful.

As far as he knew, Wang Yi was only a sixth-rank military official before, but at this time, Wang Yi openly wore a third-rank red robe. It was obvious that Lu Jianguo had promoted this person.

There was a main seat at the top of the hall, but after Wang Yi entered the hall, he did not sit on the main seat, but sat on the left.

Wang Yi glanced at the crowd and saw that all the village leaders had arrived, so he stood up and spoke.

"The reason why I summoned all the village chiefs here today is because His Highness Lu Jianguo has issued an imperial decree to Siming Mountain. Now that all the village chiefs have arrived, please ask the angel to come to the hall to announce the decree."

After Wang Yi finished speaking, he returned to his seat. After a while, a middle-aged man in a green official robe walked into the hall.
The man looked middle-aged, and like Huang Zongxi and others, he was also wearing a blue official robe, and was followed by two servants.
The two servants each held a tray in their hands. On one tray was a bright yellow imperial edict, and on the other tray was a silver official seal.

The man walked to the front of the lobby and said

"I am Feng Jingdi, a military officer under the command of Lu Jianguo. I am here to announce the imperial decree in Siming Mountain on the orders of His Highness Lu Jianguo."

"This is my seal and the document of my order. You may examine it first."

Feng Jingdi had the document passed to the leaders of the mountain strongholds for inspection. The document was passed around among the leaders and then returned to Feng Jingdi.

Feng Jingdi was a serious official of the Lu Regent State. He was merely showing the document to prove his identity. Seeing that no one among the mountain stronghold owners questioned him, Feng Jingdi continued to speak.

"Since you have verified my identity, I will begin to announce the decree."

Feng Jingdi's face became solemn. He took the bright yellow edict with both hands and held it high in front of him. At this time, all the leaders of the mountain strongholds, including Wang Yi, Shi Zhongfang, etc., stood up and knelt on the ground.

"The Imperial Regent of Lu issued an edict that Wang Yi, the head of the Ministry of War, is in a dangerous situation. He is loyal, diligent and upright, and is worthy of the great responsibility."

"Wang Yi is specially appointed as the Governor of Northern Zhejiang, and given the titles of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief, in charge of all personnel, military affairs, finances and food in Zhejiang Province, and in charge of uniting the various volunteer armies in Zhejiang Province and restoring the province."

"Your Highness Wang Yi accepts your order and thanks you."

Wang Yi kowtowed and accepted the order. After Wang Yi thanked him, everyone in the room stood up and sat back in the hall.
Shi Zhongfang looked at the people in official robes opposite him, his eyes flickered slightly. Wang Yi was promoted six levels from a sixth-rank official, which was a great favor, but Shi Zhongfang knew that this was not the focus of today's speech.
Sure enough, after Feng Jingdi handed the imperial seal to Wang Yi, he immediately stepped aside, and Wang Yi spoke in a deep voice at this time

"There are many volunteer armies in Zhejiang Province, but they fight independently without forming a system. In recent years, many volunteer armies have been defeated by the Qing invaders because they are alone and weak. It is really lamentable."

"I have been appointed as the Governor of Northern Zhejiang. I want to rebuild the Governor's Office and the troops of Zhejiang Province, and coordinate the various volunteer armies in Siming Mountain to fight against the Qing invaders. Do you have any opinions?"

The clear voice slowly echoed in the hall, but none of the village leaders were surprised or in agreement. The hall suddenly fell into a strange silence.

(End of this chapter)