Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 138 The Jingzhou Defenders' Rebellion

Zhu Cilang's decision to send Gao Yigong to Chongqing was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a strategic arrangement made after careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons of the situations in various places.

Chongqing is located in southeastern Sichuan, bordering Kuidong to the north, Jingzhou to the east, and northwestern Hunan. It completely controls the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and is the throat of the Sichuan Basin leading to the outside world. As long as the Ming Dynasty firmly controls Chongqing, it is equivalent to controlling the lifeline of Sichuan.

In terms of military, Chongqing is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with rugged terrain, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. At the same time, the surrounding river valley plains are fertile, making it very convenient for the defenders to cultivate land. It is undoubtedly an important barrier for the Ming army to resist the Qing army from moving south from Sichuan and attacking Yunnan, Guizhou, and Huguang.

Only by taking control of Chongqing could Zhu Cilang take the initiative in the southwestern situation, and effectively curb the Qing army's attack on Huguang, Yunnan, Guizhou and other places from Sichuan, and ensure the security of the entire southwest.

Therefore, he decided to send Gao Yigong to lead his elite troops and their families to Chongqing and radiate to the surrounding areas. On the one hand, it was to regain Chongqing and Kuidong and strengthen the strategic depth of Jingzhou. On the other hand, it was to prepare for the future reception of the remnants of the Western Army. It can be said that it killed two birds with one stone.

Gao Yigong came from the peasant army and once followed Li Zicheng into seclusion in Shangluo Mountain. After the establishment of the government in Xiangyang, he was left in Xiangyang by Li Zicheng to govern the local area. He had previously gone south from Kuidong and was quite familiar with the situation in the southwest region. He also had certain connections with the Dashi Army and Kuidong, and could effectively coordinate the forces of all parties.

These are definitely not things that any random general under Wang Yingxiong can do. At that time, there were indeed many generals in southern Sichuan who were able to fight and dared to fight, but their troops were not strong, and they were far from capable of governing the local area.

After Zhu Cilang successfully pacified the Dashun armies in the east and west, and had enough troops in Huguang, and could even send troops to take over Chongqing, Wang Yingxiong was able to concentrate his forces in the three southwestern provinces to resolve the chaos in the rear.

The Ming Dynasty still controls the southern provinces. Yunnan is located in the border area, and its military and political significance is actually not that important. Even the chieftain rebellion can be delayed before being resolved.

After all, in the original history, when Sha Dingzhou successfully ambushed the Ming army and was at the peak of his power, he did not control the entire province of Yunnan. Now Mu Tianbo has been prepared, and it is even more impossible for him, the chieftain of southern Yunnan, to capture the entire province of Yunnan and threaten Guizhou.

However, Yunnan has rich copper resources, and they have not been fully exploited. Compared with the annual output of tens of millions of kilograms during the Qing Dynasty in history, the current copper production in Yunnan is simply a drop in the bucket.

Copper coins still occupied a vital position in the economy of the Ming Dynasty at this time. If Zhu Cilang could successfully develop the copper mines in Yunnan, he could effectively alleviate the current financial crisis caused by the rapid expansion of the army and provide sufficient military funding for the war.

Not only that, copper was also an important military material at that time, and the traditional transportation route of Yunnan copper was through northwestern Hunan to Changde, and then transferred to the foundry in Nanjing.

This is why Zhu Cilang praised Du Yinxi for his foresight in building a weapons workshop in Changsha Prefecture. There was no extra cost at all for transporting part of the Yunnan copper from Changde to Changsha.

Pingle, Hezhou and other places in Guangxi, south of Huguang, are also rich in tin mines. It is not difficult to transport them north to Changsha Prefecture through the canal connecting the two places, or to Nanjing by sea through the West River. The combination of the two is an excellent material for casting cannons.

You should know that the main materials of bronze cannons are copper and tin. Because bronze has good wear resistance, corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity, and can maintain high strength at high temperatures, it is an excellent material for manufacturing cannons. Bronze cannons of the same caliber use less material than cast iron cannons and are smaller in weight and volume.

Of course, bronze cannons are more expensive than cast iron cannons, but the advantages of bronze cannons are more obvious at the current technological level, which makes them still widely used in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

This is because copper has a low melting point and better fluidity, making it easier to cast the barrel. And because copper cannons are tougher, bronze cannons are less likely to explode, which is extremely important for artillery units.

In addition, copper cannons are less likely to rust, can be used for a longer time, and are easier to maintain, which is even more significant for the southern army.

Zhu Cilang knew very well that if he wanted to defeat the Qing army, he would need strong economic and military strength as support, and the copper mines in Yunnan were the key to achieving this goal.

Under the current situation, Wang Yingxiong, the governor of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, is the best candidate to be sent to Yunnan to quell the rebellion.

Yunnan is located in a remote area with inconvenient transportation, and the chieftains are powerful. It would be impossible to suppress the rebellion and control the copper mines without several years.

After all, what he wanted was not to quell the rebellion, but a minister who could govern the local area, suppress the chieftains, the local Ming army in Yunnan, and even the Mu family and local civil servants, while controlling the Yunnan copper mines and providing a steady stream of financial support for the revival of the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing the siege in full swing, Zhu Cilang immediately sent Tang Ma to Zunyi to summon Wang Yingxiong to Changsha. He had not yet met this provincial governor in person.

As the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the broken walls of Jingzhou City, reflecting the numerous bullet holes on them, the Ming army's siege finally came to a halt.

After nearly ten days of fierce artillery bombardment, the originally solid bricks have collapsed piece by piece, the flat city wall has become bumpy, the bricks have broken, and the hideous gaps have been revealed.

Under the fierce attack of the Ming army, the Qing soldiers on the city wall suffered heavy casualties and low morale. They could only hide behind the ruins and struggle to survive. Many of them had lost confidence in defending Jingzhou City.

On both sides of the moat outside the city, the plains and houses that were once covered with grass and trees have long since turned into scorched earth. The soil turned up by the shells is mixed with broken weapons and torn flags, which looks particularly desolate under the reflection of the setting sun.

In the moat, the once clear water had been dyed into a muddy yellow by the sand dumped by the Ming army. Broken wooden boards and corpses floated on the river, emitting a foul stench.

The Ming army soldiers continued to advance, braving the Qing army's artillery shells and arrows, throwing bags of sand into the river. Bags of sand had already appeared at the edge of the originally bottomless moat.

Not only that, the soldiers also dug a new trench beside the moat and set up obstacles such as chevaux de frise and deer horns outside the trench to form a solid line of defense to prevent the Qing army in the city from launching a sneak attack on the river-filling troops.

At this time, the Ming soldiers on the moat were still digging trenches to hide in. They were too close to the city wall and were easily attacked by the Qing army. Of course, the soil they dug out was an important material for filling the river.

As night fell quietly, the smoke on the battlefield gradually dissipated, and the originally fierce shouting and the sounds of people and horses gradually subsided.

The night wind blew, bringing gusts of coolness, mixed with a faint smell of blood and gunpowder.

At this time, on the edge of the moat, fires were shining in the temporary position composed of shield carts and trenches, and hundreds of bonfires were lit outside the trenches. On the distant Jingzhou city wall, there were only a few lights, and the city was dead silent, forming a sharp contrast with the brightly lit and noisy Ming army camp farther away.

At this time, the main force of the Ming army that attacked the city during the day had returned to the barracks and was deploying night defenses. Each camp was heavily guarded to prevent night attacks by the Qing army.

Inside and outside the camp, countless patrolling soldiers held torches and looked around vigilantly. The sound of their footsteps and the friction of their armor were particularly clear in the silent camp at night.

At this time, in the central army tent, Zhu Cilang was gathering a group of generals to discuss the encirclement and suppression strategy after breaking the city. He also had an urgent military intelligence report from Yuezhou in his hand.

After reading it, Zhu Cilang folded up a part of the report and handed it to Chen Fu, asking him to read it out loud. Chen Fu took the report and read it out loud in front of all the generals.

As expected, Tong Yanghe sent Wang Deren to lead thousands of troops from Wuchang, intending to harass Yuezhou and threaten Changsha.

Zhu Cilang had already made arrangements for this. As soon as Wang Deren's troops arrived at Yanglou, they were hit head-on by Jin Shenghuan. They suffered heavy casualties and were forced to retreat to Puqi.

However, Wang Deren's subsequent secret contact with Jin Shenghuan, hoping for his support and intention to rebel, was beyond Zhu Cilang's expectations, and this was also the part of the newspaper that he folded.

When Chen Fu took the report, he saw Zhu Cilang's meaningful eyes and realized that he should not read the following content. He was also very surprised at the military intelligence that Wang Deren and Jin Shenghuan had secretly communicated about. The development of the matter was far beyond his expectations.

Zhu Cilang informed the generals of the military situation in Yuezhou, but deliberately concealed the news that Wang Deren might rebel. It was not because he did not trust the generals in front of him, but such matters must be kept secret.

His most important task at the moment was to concentrate all his efforts on conquering Jingzhou and stabilizing the situation in Huguang. Wang Deren's intention to turn against the enemy was certainly exciting news, but Zhu Cilang did not dare to take it lightly.

After all, history has now completely changed. Whether Wang Deren's surrender was a true surrender or a delaying tactic still needs further observation.

Moreover, if the other party really has no confidence in the Qing court, then this will be a key aid for him to capture Wuchang City in the future. Using it now will not do any good. What is Puqi City?
"Tong Yanghe really didn't dare to send troops directly to rescue Jingzhou. The troops led by Wang Deren who have retreated to Puqi should be all the reinforcements sent by Wuchang."

Zhu Cilang glanced at the generals in the tent, and then said in a deep voice:

"Jingzhou City has been under siege by our army for many days. Today, we have reached the moat. After five hours, the sand and gravel bags pushed into the river have already emerged from the water. If nothing unexpected happens, the moat will be filled in within ten days, and the day of the city's capture is just around the corner.

I have summoned you all here today to discuss our plans after the city is breached, as well as our plans to stop the Qing troops who are trying to break through. Zheng Siwei and Li Qifeng will undoubtedly struggle to their death."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead my army as the vanguard, attack the city and annihilate the Qing army!" Li Guo bowed and asked for battle, his eyes full of murderous intent.

Not only him, but as soon as Zhu Cilang finished speaking, Gao Yigong, Liu Fangliang, Tian Jianxiu and others also asked for battle, expressing their willingness to lead their troops into the city and kill the traitors for the Ming Dynasty.

They were so excited, of course, not only because they wanted to kill the traitor for the Ming Dynasty, but also because they wanted to avenge their dead brothers in the Dashun Army, clean up their own house, and kill the traitor.

After all, if it weren't for traitors like Zheng Siwei and Wang Tizhong, the main force of the Qing army led by Ajige would probably not have been so easy to catch up with Li Zicheng, and several battles such as Wuchang and Fuchikou might not even have happened.

Of course, this is just what Li Guo, Gao Yigong, Tian Jianxiu, Liu Fangliang and others think. They now blame Li Zicheng's death on these two traitors, so that they can accept the Ming Dynasty's amnesty with peace of mind.

In other words, in the minds of these generals, they are attacking Jingzhou now and Wuchang in the future, and participating in the anti-Qing struggle under the leadership of the Ming Dynasty, all with the intention of avenging Li Zicheng.

Zhu Cilang naturally knew this, and this was even one of his propaganda methods for the rebel soldiers. It was the best way for him to stabilize people's hearts before achieving one victory after another.

"Well, generals, your courage is commendable, and I am deeply gratified. However, in addition to courage, military affairs also require the right strategy, otherwise our soldiers will have to make meaningless sacrifices." Looking at the generals' enthusiastic participation, Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, expressing his admiration for their courage and enterprising spirit. Then he turned to Chen Fu and said coldly:

"Chen Fu, tell me the specific strategy!"

Chen Fu had participated in numerous military discussions during his time in Fengyang, and possessed extensive experience in military analysis. This time, Zhu Cilang had assigned several of his officers to him, who had been observing the battlefield and reporting on military activity for the past few days.

Upon hearing Zhu Cilang's order, Chen Fu immediately clasped his hands and analyzed the battle situation in Jingzhou:

"Your Majesty, based on the battlefield situation I've gathered over the past few days, there should still be nearly 3,000 Qing soldiers and 5,000 to 6,000 civilians in the city. Although the artillery can inflict heavy damage to the city walls, the casualties on the defenders are not significant.

However, the Qing troops in the city are almost all soldiers under Zheng Siwei. They have very few cavalry and the combat effectiveness of the armored soldiers is not very strong. Once they leave the city wall, they will have no ability to fight back against our tens of thousands of troops.

In other words, as long as the city walls are destroyed and our army charges into the city, they will be unable to resist, and the city should be cleared within four to five hours."

"Zheng Siwei has always been wary of me. I have previously sent people to the foot of the city to persuade them to surrender. I also sent people to the base of the city wall under the cover of night to contact the patrolling soldiers, but those soldiers had no intention of rebelling. Some even took the initiative to attack the secret envoys I sent." Liu Fangliang sighed.

"Zheng Siwei and Li Qifeng know that you are in the army, so they will naturally not let down their guard. But now they are in a desperate situation, and their soldiers must be in a panic. Starting tomorrow, send people to shout to the city several times a day. Maybe it will have a miraculous effect." After hearing this, Zhu Cilang looked at Liu Fangliang and gave instructions.

"Since we can't pacify them, let's wait for the moat to be filled, use artillery to blow down the city walls, and then rush in to kill them!" Li Guo then bowed and clasped his hands together.

"Yes, that's what I mean!" Zhu Cilang nodded, then said, "Chen Fu, tell me about the encirclement and suppression plan after the city is captured."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Fu received the order and said immediately:
"After preliminary planning, I believe that after the city is captured, the army should be divided into three groups: one group will be responsible for the frontal assault into the city and eliminate the Qing troops participating in the attack inside. One group will be responsible for guarding the plains outside the city and outflanking the Qing troops fleeing out of the city. The third group will ambush the Qing troops in the north and east outside the city to intercept the Qing troops who take advantage of the chaos to flee."

After hearing this, all the generals did not raise any objections. There were plains on three sides outside Jingzhou City, and this kind of deployment was indeed necessary to ensure that no one escaped.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang nodded and began to assign tasks. In the next few days, he needed to dispatch troops in batches while attacking the city and complete the deployment without the Qing army noticing, so he had to act in advance.

"I am willing to lead the troops to attack the city from the front and wipe out the remaining Qing troops in the city!" Li Guo stood up without hesitation.

"Alright, General Li is a brave warrior. I believe you can accomplish the mission." Zhu Cilang nodded in approval. "General Gao, you will also lead a battalion of soldiers. After entering the city, you will be responsible for controlling the towers and trapping the Qing army inside as much as possible!"

"I obey your order!" Gao Yigong accepted the order.

"As for the first line of defense outside the city to stop the Qing army..." Zhu Cilang's gaze swept across the crowd, finally landing on Ma Jinzhong and Wang Yuncheng:
"Ma Jinzhong, Wang Yuncheng, I order you to lead the cavalry and disperse all the Qing troops that have broken out of the city. Especially Zheng Siwei and Li Qifeng. We must not let them escape."

Ma Jinzhong and Wang Yuncheng always wanted to redeem themselves for their crimes, so they were timid when they met the Qing army. However, when facing Zheng Siwei, they were brave and fearless.

The two men immediately stepped out, clasped their hands and accepted the order, their eyes filled with determination: "I will definitely fulfill my mission!"

"Also, the troops ambushed to the north and east of Jingzhou City..." Zhu Cilang turned his gaze to the others and continued his orders: "To the north, Zuo Menggeng, Xu Yong, and Li Guoying will lead the ambush. To the east, Tian Jianxiu, Liu Tichun, and Yuan Zongdi will lead the ambush."

"We obey your order!" the generals responded in unison.
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At this time, in Jingzhou City, the night was as dark as ink, as if shrouded in dead silence. The fire plates on the city walls flickered, reflecting the frightened faces of the Qing soldiers.

Inside the prefectural office, Zheng Siwei and Li Qifeng were restless. They had received the third letter from Tong Yanghe. The other party still promised to send reinforcements immediately, but it was still just a promise. They had not seen any reinforcements in these days.

"Sir, the Ming army has been besieging the city for more than a month, but the reinforcements have not arrived yet. Now the city is about to fall, what should we do?" Zheng Siwei frowned, his tone full of worry.

Li Qifeng originally said that he should make plans early, but he never expected that the Ming army's artillery was so powerful. The city wall was in danger in just over ten days, and it seemed that the moat would be filled up in less than ten days.

If this were the case, if he rashly broke out, he would most likely be regarded by the Qing court as a coward and retreat. Even if he broke out at that time, he would probably be punished or even die.

Li Qifeng was still hesitating whether to hold on for a while longer or break out immediately. He pondered for a long time, but ultimately could not make a decision. After sighing, he could not help but curse:
"That cowardly bastard Tong Yanghe only cared about preserving his own troops and didn't care about our lives at all!"

"Wang Tizhong must have been behind this. What a bunch of cowardly rats!" Zheng Siwei also cursed angrily.
"They always say they'll live and die with us, but now they're hiding in Wuchang, watching us being besieged by the Ming army. How despicable!"

The two of them kept complaining about Tong Yanghe and Wang Tizhong. However, under such circumstances, after complaining for a while, they soon started discussing the problem of breaking out.

"Sir, we must break out as soon as possible, otherwise once the Ming army has deployed outside the city, we will have no chance. And even now, if we want to break out, we must take advantage of the cover of night to have a chance of survival."

Zheng Siwei looked at Li Qifeng and advised earnestly:

"The Ming army will surely set up numerous barriers outside the city soon. If we wait any longer, how can we break through their blockade given our strength?"

Li Qifeng fell silent again, struggling to weigh the pros and cons of holding on or breaking out. As an old traitor who had surrendered from Liaodong, he was most familiar with the Qing army's military discipline and laws. The loss of a city as important as Jingzhou would probably punish even the Manchu nobles, not to mention him.

Seeing that he was still hesitant, Zheng Siwei said, "Sir, if we stay in the city and hold on, I'm afraid we will only die. There is only a glimmer of hope for us to survive if we break out!"

Li Qifeng was finally moved by what he said. After hesitating for a while, he finally nodded and said, "Zheng Siwei, you are right. Only by breaking out can we have a chance of survival."

After hearing this, Zheng Siwei excitedly offered a suggestion: "Sir, I have a plan that may work."

"Hurry up and tell me!" Li Qifeng couldn't wait any longer.

Zheng Siwei raised his eyebrows when he received the order and said immediately:
"Sir, perhaps we should first gather the troops within the city and send them out through the east gate to draw the Ming army's attention. Once the main force of the Ming army is drawn there, I will lead my personal soldiers to break out through the west gate. By then, we will surely be able to carve out a bloody path."

However, Li Qifeng just shook his head and said:
"Although this plan is clever, it's still too risky. The Ming army is far more powerful than ours. Even if we make a feint to the east and attack in the west, we won't be able to truly divide their forces. Once we are surrounded, it will be impossible to escape."

"Then what should we do?" Zheng Siwei frowned, then his eyes suddenly lit up and he said, "How about we send someone to feign surrender to the Ming army, buy time, and continue to wait for Tong Yanghe's reinforcements?"

"No!" Li Qifeng flatly refused. "The Ming Emperor is cunning and treacherous. How could he easily believe our false surrender?"

After these words were spoken, both men fell silent again, letting the seconds slip by. Faced with such a disparity in strength, they seemed completely helpless.

"Sir, I have another plan, maybe we can give it a try." Zheng Siwei suddenly said, with a cunning look in his eyes.

"Oh, what plan?" Li Qifeng's originally desperate face showed a look of surprise, and he asked hurriedly.

"I believe that if we combine the two strategies I just mentioned, even the Ming Emperor will be unable to decipher them. Since the surprise attack has failed, I can first send a group of soldiers, disguised as rebels, to surrender to the Ming army. This way, the Ming army will surely let down their guard."

Zheng Siwei paused and continued to explain:
"When they approach the Ming army's position, we can launch a sudden attack. This will surely catch them off guard and completely draw the attention of the Ming troops outside the city. Then, I will lead my personal guards and work with you to break out from the west gate. We will surely succeed."

Li Qifeng's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he smiled, "What a good plan! If the Ming army sees the rebels coming to surrender, they will surely let down their guard, and our chances of successfully breaking out will greatly increase."

"It's just..." Zheng Siwei's tone was filled with hesitation, "Those soldiers sent to attract the attention of the Ming army, I'm afraid..."

"Those who achieve great things don't care about trivial matters," Li Qifeng said coldly. "As long as our lives are saved, what does the death of a few soldiers matter?"

"Your Excellency is right!" Zheng Siwei said with determination.

He was actually well aware that at this critical moment, he couldn't care less. However, since the dead were all his soldiers, he felt a little sad.

"There is no time to lose. Let's gather our troops in the next two days and start the action at midnight the day after tomorrow." Li Qifeng gave the order.

After the two men finished their discussion, Zheng Siwei immediately took his personal soldiers to summon his trusted officers to prepare for the next breakout operation.

As the night deepened, Jingzhou City was completely silent, broken only by the occasional barking of dogs. Inside and outside the government office, the lights were brightly lit. Li Qifeng's personal guards and servants were frantically packing their belongings, all of them already vaguely guessing the reason.

But not long after, shouts and the sound of horse hooves were suddenly heard in the Jingzhou City, which was originally dead silent, and dazzling flames appeared near the west gate.

Soon, a cavalryman rode his horse from the direction of the west gate to the gate of the prefectural yamen, shouting that there was a rebellion among the soldiers at the west gate and that the city gate should be opened. The prefectural yamen quickly fell into chaos.

(End of this chapter)